Sonic Wave
by BearfootTruck
Summary: Sonic & co. are about to take part in one of the most frightening classroom experiments of all time. How far can it possibly go?
1. Day 1 - Strength Through Discipline

The sun kissed the morning sky over San Santos. The dew kissed the morning grass, and Sonic the Hedgehog got up for another unoriginal-yet-federally-mandated high school fic. The man originally responsible for writing this story had shot himself, so the current author took up the task in his place.

Anyways, once he had downed his breakfast and freshened up, Sonic blasted out the door along with his best friend, Miles "Tails" Prower. The Blue Blur didn't enjoy school so much as he enjoyed running to school in a matter of seconds instead of taking the bus like the "normal" kids. Besides, he needed that rush.

The school in question was James F. Charleston High School, located in the southern part of the city. The main building was an old brick building with a few modern touches, plus some lush vegetation to even things out. The interior of the building was typical for a school: Vinyl tiles, cinder block walls of varying colors, plus fluorescent lighting.

After the Columbian national anthem and morning announcements, Sonic reported to his first class of the day: World History. Attending class with Sonic and Tails were Knuckles the Echidna, Shadow the Hedgehog, Silver the Hedgehog and a bunch of other people who shouldn't have been here due to age differences. Like that ever stopped any other authors.

Not long after the second bell rang, their teacher, Mr. Obotir, arrived. Obotir was a large man with a black mustache, a goatee and a receding hairline.

"Ah, good morning, class!" said Obotir. "Are we ready for the day's lessons?"

The class gave varying responses, none of which seemed particularly enthusiastic, except maybe Tails' and Silver's.

"Brilliant!" exclaimed Obotir. "Now then, let us call the roll…Blaze?"

"Present!" said Blaze the Cat.

"Butkus?"

"Here!" said Joseph Butkus.

"Caholleck?"

"Here!" said Al Caholleck.

The pattern continued on. Once Obotir had finished taking attendance, he took out his tablet computer. "Now then, today's lesson is about the Tedescan Civil War, one of the bloodiest conflicts the world has ever seen. Can anyone name the two sides in the conflict?"

Tails and Silver raised their hands, along with two other kids.

"Mr. Prower?" said Obotir.

"They were the Federal Republic of Tedesca, led by Franz Riedel, and the Nationalist State of Tedesca, led by Joseph Giftmann" replied Tails.

"Very good! Of course, it wasn't necessary to name the two leaders in this conflict, but the extra effort is appreciated! For the next part of this lesson, we're going to be watching a short documentary about the war. Therefore, I would like to ask everyone to sit up and pay attention."

Everyone did as they were told…well, almost everyone. After tapping the screen of his tablet a few times, Obotir began the film. The lights in the room dimmed automatically, and the film projected itself on the Cyboard – an ordinary-looking whiteboard that could also serve as a display screen.

Though the documentary was short, it captured the essentials: Giftmann's rise to power, the Nationalists' secession, the Battle of Salzdorf, the Siege of Reifsburg, the assault on Fort Todesherz, the Battle of Großadlerhorst and so on, all the way up to the atomic bombing of Albtraum and Giftmann's expulsion. Once the documentary concluded, the lights turned back on.

"Though this war lasted for three years, the background events leading up to it had been going on longer than that," said Obotir. "Several years ago, Tedesca entered the worst economic depression in its entire history. Inflation was rampant, food was scarce, and religious tensions were at some of the highest levels in the country's history. Everyone argued over the best solution to the problem. As you know, Giftmann claimed to have the solution and swayed several people to his cause. However, not everyone was swayed by Giftmann's ideas, thereby bringing about what you just saw. While I am on this subject, I should like to remind you that we are doomed to repeat history if we don't pay ATTENTION!"

"Huh!? Wha…!?" Knuckles – who had been dozing off – snapped to attention. Some of the other students laughed at him. "Oh, ya think that's funny!? Well just you wait, guys!"

Obotir waved gently. "All right, settle down! Settle down! Now then, are there any questions?"

Several people raised their hands.

"Ms. Naylor?" said Obotir.

"Was everyone in Nationalist Tedesca part of the Nationalist Party?" asked Ivanna Naylor.

"No. In fact, no more than 12% of the population in Nationalist Tedesca belonged to the Tedescan National Workers' Party at any given time."

Tails was called upon next. "So how could somebody like Giftmann have gained so many followers?"

"Yeah," said Sonic. "Why would people just fall for that jive?"

"Ah, very good questions!" said Obotir. "There really wasn't a single reason. Some people followed him because they believed that Tedesca had strayed too far from its roots. Some followed him because they were simply fed up with being hungry. Others felt that they had no choice. Now…Mr. Silver?"

"But why would they kill their fellow countrymen?" asked Silver. "I've read about this war a few times and I still can't understand how the past could be so savage!"

"Also a very good question!" replied Obotir. "However, we've no time to dwell upon that, because I have a special activity planned for today!"

Some of the students perked up when they heard this.

"First, I would like to talk about discipline." Obotir wrote the word "discipline" on the board. "Discipline is a necessary component of our society. However, for all the benefits that democracy has brought, today's society is sorely lacking in discipline. Fortunately, I'm here to change that!"

A number of students gave him confused looks.

"I know you're wondering how I can possibly hope to accomplish this. You may also be wondering how it could benefit you. Both are very good questions! For example…Mr. Sonic, is it not true that you are an accomplished athlete?"

Sonic gave a thumbs up. "Right on!"

"Well, I'm sure you needed a high degree of discipline to get where you are now, yes?"

"Actually…I never really kept track of that." Sonic scratched his head.

"Regardless," said Obotir, "athleticism is a skill that requires many hours to develop fully. Other skills such as flight…lifting heavy objects…automotive repair…these are all skills that require discipline…control…the strength of the will! Strength comes through discipline, and today, we will learn what it truly means to be strong! First, we shall begin with posture, for how can one hope to become disciplined if one does not have the correct posture? Mr. Caholleck, please come to the front of the class!"

Al – a stocky white guy with brown hair – did as he was told. A few students snickered and made snide comments behind his back. Up front, Obotir had an extra chair waiting for him.

"Sit down, please!" said Obotir.

Al did so.

"Now, sit up straight, place your feet on the floor and grasp the sides of the chair like so."

Once again, Al followed Obotir's instructions to the letter. When he was done, his arms were parallel with his body, grasping the sides of the chair.

"Very good! Mr. Caholleck, breathe in…now out! There, do you not feel better?"

Al nodded.

"As you can see, ladies and gentlemen," said Obotir, "good posture leads to improved concentration and a strong will! By now, the effect on discipline should be obvious, so if you will, please follow Mr. Caholleck's example!"

Naturally, everyone sat up straight like Al, or at least tried to do so. Some people – like Sonic – couldn't touch the floor with their feet, so they just dangled their legs at a 90-degree angle, perpendicular to the ground.

 _(Man, this is way past uncomfortable,)_ thought Sonic. _(I'd rather be sittin' on a tack right now!)_

"Excellent!" said Obotir. "You may relax for a moment…"

Everyone did so.

"…now resume the position! Now relax! And again!"

The class repeated this a few times. While they were still assuming the posture, Obotir walked over to Knuckles.

"Ladies and gentlemen, pay attention to Mr. Knuckles," said Obotir. "Note how his upper body is perpendicular to the floor! See how his arms are perfectly parallel to his body, his chin in perfect synchronization! However, this is only the beginning of Strength Through Discipline. Next, I will ask you all to get up and walk around for a few moments, and when I give the command, you are to return to your desks. Go ahead, then!"

It didn't take an expert to tell that this was Sonic's favorite part of the exercise. Not only was he running around the room as fast as he could go, but he was also jumping around every which way but loose, even using the desks as platforms. A couple of students weren't too happy when Sonic nearly ran into them, but they knew the Blue Blur well enough to let it slide.

 _(Wait…is this history or gym class?)_ thought Sonic. _(Who cares!? This is disco!)_

"Back to your seats!" ordered Obotir.

Ironically, although he hated that damned posture, Sonic was the first one to get back to his desk and sit down correctly. All the other students got back into position, albeit with varying degrees of success.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we can do far better than this!" said Obotir. "If you want to make a difference in this world, you must practice until you cannot get this wrong! We're going to try this again, but this time, I suggest that you be quieter and more in control. Understood?"

"Yes" said the students.

Ergo, the students went through a few more runs. The majority of them got the hang of it shortly enough, but there were still a few who couldn't quite hack it at first. Nevertheless, they all got it sooner or later in spite of their trouble.

"Most outstanding!" Obotir pressed the "stop" button on his tablet's stopwatch. "Your best time has gone down by half of your original margin! However, being on time is useless if you're not prepared, so don't forget to bring paper and writing utensils for every class, or even a tablet! Ah, but I'm sure that none of you have forgotten this, have you not? I also have two more rules: 1. When asking or answering a question, you are required to stand up, and 2. You must preface all questions and answers with my name – Mr. Obotir. Understood?"

"Yes" said the students.

"Good. Ms. Blaze, where was Joseph Giftmann born?"

"He was born in…"

"Wrong, wrong, wrong!" said Obotir. "You've forgotten the rules already! Mr. Knuckles, please demonstrate the correct procedure again so that Ms. Blaze doesn't forget!"

Knuckles stood up and said "Mr. Obotir" before returning to his seat.

"Yes, thank you, Mr. Knuckles. Ms. Blaze, try it again."

Blaze got up from her seat.

"Mr. Obotir, Joseph Giftmann was born in the town of Flußheim," said Blaze.

"Better," said Obotir, "but still too slow. Ideally, your question or answer should be three words or less. Please try it again!"

Blaze got up again. "Mr. Obotir, Flußheim."

"Yes, that's it!" Mr. Obotir raised his index finger. "Prompt…precise…punctual! Let's do this again…Ms. Normal, who was the victor at the Battle of Salzdorf?"

"Mr. Obotir, the Nationalists," replied Abby Normal.

"Excellent! Mr. Sonic…what was the name of the treaty that ended the war?"

"Mr. Obotir, I dunno." Sonic sat down.

"That's perfectly all right! As long as you're following the rules, that answer will be accepted! Mr. Tails?"

"Mr. Obotir, the Brotherhood Treaty," replied Tails.

"Bravo!" Obotir clapped his hands. "Who was in charge of Fort Todesherz?"

Silver got up to answer the question. "Mr. Obotir, General Heinrich Müller."

"Correct! What year did the war end?"

Shadow got up from his seat. "Mr. Obotir…"

The bell rang before Shadow could answer the question.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we're all out of time for today!" said Obotir. "Please exit the classroom in an orderly fashion, and don't forget about tonight's homework assignment!"

* * *

Sonic's next couple of classes were uneventful. At lunch, he sat down with Tails and Knuckles, as he always did. No matter how his day was going, the Blue Blur always looked forward to being with his friends. Since the cafeteria wasn't serving chili dogs today, Sonic opted for a regular ol' hot dog with relish, while Tails picked a cheeseburger and Knuckles went with a chicken sandwich.

"Guys, I gotta be honest," said Sonic. "That experiment smells rotten!"

"What!?" said Knuckles. "How can ya say that, Sonic!? That experiment is one of the best things I did all year! Really, I feel a whole lot better after sitting up like this!"

"Sure, it may be good for you, but I swear, that posture was gonna crack my spine if I had to do it any longer!" Sonic attempted to rub his own back. "Don't get me started on those other rules either, man!"

"Sonic, it's only an experiment!" Tails put his hand on Sonic's shoulder. "You can relax now. I don't think we have to do any of that stuff outside of class."

"Ya sure? I dunno about that. I mean, the teacher's gotta have some other reason for doin' what he did back there, ya know?"

Then, Rouge the Bat sat down at the empty seat to Knuckles' right and wrapped her arms around him. "Hello, Knuckie!"

Knuckles put down his food. Though he was starting to blush, he sat up as straight as possible. "Rouge…what do you want?"

"Oh…nothing!" replied Rouge. "I just wanted to pay a visit to my favorite Echidna!"

"Er…uh…OK!" _(Please, just go!)_

"Say, are you still going on with that silly experiment?"

"It's not just a 'silly experiment'! It's helping me breathe better, too!"

"Knuckie, you don't have to take it so seriously!" Rouge put one of her hands on Knuckles' chest. "You can relax now!"

"Uh…why would I want to?" Knuckles started to sweat a little.

"Come on, just relax, kiddo!" Rouge started rubbing Knuckles' chest.

"Hey…kn-knock it off!" Knuckles was sweating even more now. Nevertheless, he kept his posture.

"What's the matter? Are you afraid people will think you're not a tough guy?"

"No I'm not! I…uh…heh heh…"

Sonic whispered to Tails: "I don't think he's a wimp, but I know when he's losin' it."

Meanwhile, Silver and Blaze were sitting together at another table. Silver rested his head in his hands and sighed.

"Silver, are you okay?" asked Blaze.

"I'm fine," replied Silver.

"Are you sure? You've not touched any of your food."

Silver lifted his head up and turned to face Blaze. "Trust me, Blaze, I'm fine! It's just that…well…"

"Yes?"

"Well…I can't stop thinking about that experiment we did earlier today. It reminds me of what my master used to make me do."

Blaze raised her eyebrows. "Oh?"

"Yeah, but his tasks weren't…uh…"

"Weren't what?"

"Weren't as…difficult as what we had to do in that experiment."

Blaze put her hand on Silver's. "Silver, I may not know what your experience was like, but I know that this experiment has concluded."

"And what makes you so sure about that?" asked Silver.

"Because the teacher didn't say that we were required to continue."

Silver paused. "You're right. Maybe he only held it for that one class. But none of the other teachers did any experiments like that…" He finally took a bite from his pizza, contemplating the situation, remembering when he first discovered "The Gift".

* * *

After lunch, Sonic was heading to his next class when he noticed Shadow grabbing some things from his locker.

"Yo, Shadow!"

Shadow sighed in frustration. " _What_ do you want, Sonic?"

"I gotta ask ya," said Sonic. "What did ya think about that experiment in History class?"

"It was logical," replied Shadow.

"Logical? Ya gotta be kiddin' me, man!"

Shadow turned to face Sonic. "You know perfectly damn well that I don't kid around."

"Right…" Sonic rubbed the back of his head. "Why's it logical, then?"

"The educational system in this state – if not this country – has been declining for a long time now. I think it's about time somebody did something about it."

"And how are those goofy exercises supposed to help the educational system?"

Shadow shook his head a bit. "You really didn't listen…did you?"

"I listened! So what?"

"So, I'm not going to answer your question because you already admitted that you listened."

"Oh-kay," said Sonic. "Check ya later, Shad!"

"Good riddance," muttered Shadow.

* * *

For Sonic and Tails, nothing notable happened the rest of that day. When the final bell rang, Ol' Blue wasted no time in running back home. After dropping his stuff off, he took some more time to run around the rest of San Santos. To him, there was nothing more cool than getting out of school for the day and using the city as his own personal racetrack. Naturally, a good portion of San Santos' population was familiar with Sonic. Even the local police and highway patrol didn't bother pursuing the Blue Blur – so long as he didn't cause too much trouble.

Since high speed wasn't going to get his homework completed, Sonic headed back home in an hour. Sonic and Tails lived in a modest two-bedroom house, which was quite nicely furnished inside. Here, they lived with Charles T. Hedgehog, better known as "Uncle Chuck" to them. At dinner, the three of them were having a nice little conversation over chili dogs.

"So how was your day, boys?" asked Uncle Chuck.

"Ah, History class stunk, but other than that, I can't complain," replied Sonic.

"I'm glad the rest of your day was all right, but what problem did you have with History class?"

"See, it was this lame experiment that the teacher made us do." Sonic rubbed his back again. "My back still kinda hurts. Maybe Tails can give ya the lowdown better than I could."

Chuck put down his chili dog. "Oh? What do you have to say, Tails?"

"It was awesome!" replied Tails. "I think it's one of the most interesting things we did in that class!"

"Really?" queried Chuck. "Tell me more; I'm all ears!"

"Our teacher wanted to teach us about strength through discipline. So, he taught us to always sit up straight and stand up before asking or answering a question. I felt smarter after doing it!" Tails took another bite of his chili dog.

"That sounds like an unusual experiment. Did he say why he was doing it?"

"He didn't say a lot, but according to him, today's society has no discipline, and he wanted to change that."

Chuck raised an eyebrow at the last few words. "Tails…do you even know what you're getting into?"

"Don't worry, Uncle Chuck!" Tails gave a thumbs up. "I'm not worried! Our teacher didn't say that we also had to do it tomorrow, and I know our teacher wouldn't want us to do anything bad!"

"Well…"

Sonic cut in: "Unc, I know how you're feelin'. Believe me, I told him that this whole thing stunk, too!"

"Now now, Sonic, you know it's not nice to interrupt," said Chuck.

"Sorry, Unc" said Sonic.

"Boys, learning is important, but remember that going to school is only one kind of learning. I want you two to be able to look for deeper meanings in life as well. It's helped me get very far, and I know it will get you far as well. You boys understand?"

"You got it!" said Sonic and Tails. In the Hedgehog household, the rest of the day proceeded without incident.

* * *

Meanwhile, a change was in the air at Knuckles' house. Although it only had one bedroom and wasn't furnished as much as Sonic's place, it was large enough for his needs. Currently, he was focusing all his energy on studying, having finished up all his assigned homework. Occasionally, he would turn a page, which was surprisingly easy for his gargantuan mitts. Then, the doorbell rang.

"Come in!" Knuckles didn't budge an inch; he was still sitting down in that same posture that he practiced earlier in the day. The doorbell rang again.

"The door's unlocked!" shouted Knuckles. The door didn't open. Even so, the Knuckster kept his eyes on the proverbial sparrow.

"Good afternoon, my sweet cabbage!" said a familiar voice.

"Not you again…" Knuckles rolled his eyes a little. Contrary to his hopes, Rouge was indeed standing behind him.

"Awww…aren't you curious about how I got in here?" asked Rouge.

"Can't talk; gotta study."

Rouge started giggling. "Wait…are you ACTUALLY still doing that funny seating posture!?"

"Just shut up already! I can't think with all that noise!"

"Oh Knuckie, you're such a riot!" Then, Rouge stopped giggling. "Say…mind if I take a look at what you're reading?"

"Yes."

"Thanks!" Rouge rested her head on Knuckles' shoulder as she peered at his book. "Ooh, what's this? It looks like _math_!"

Knuckles began to blush again. "All right, get outta here, Bat Girl!"

Instead of obeying Rad Red, Rouge wrapped her arms around him. "Hey…don't be a sour pickle! I want you to feel good!"

"Oh y-yeah!? W…well I was f-f-feeling f-fine until *gulp* you c-came here!"

"Is that so? Well, I'm here to make you feel _even_ better, Knuckie! Now, let's take a look at this lesson."

Knuckles was trembling nervously, unable to form a comprehensible word.

"Hmmm…" Rouge gently stroked Knuckles again. "Oh, this is interesting! It says that A(x) equals x times (60 minus 2x)! But let's forget about all those silly letters and numbers! I think that _you_ plus _me_ equals a _lot_ of fun! Don't you agree?"

"HRK!" Knuckles collapsed like a statue, still holding the position. Rouge just left him there.

 _(I really think that guy has a stick in his keister,)_ thought Rouge. _(Oh, but I love his determination! So manly and strong, too!)_

* * *

 **Criticism is gold. Negativity and nitpicking are pyrite.  
**


	2. Day 2 - Strength Through Community

Another bright, sunny day came over San Santos. While many adults were forced to contend with the city's infamous rush hour traffic, Sonic and friends had no such gridlock to contend with. Thus, they were all present by the time Mr. Obotir walked through the door of Room 222, up on the second floor.

"Ah, good morning!" said Mr. Obotir. "Huh?"

Contrary to his expectations, everyone in the class was sitting up straight, in the same manner that he'd previously instructed them to do.

"Well, I see my lessons on discipline have not been lost on…this…class…"

Actually, there was one person who was not sitting in the 'perfect posture': Sonic. Instead, the Blue Blur was kickin' back, feet crossed on the desk.

"OK…so it would appear that we still have a ways to go!" said Obotir. "But that's no major concern to me! Today, we're going to engage in some exercises! Everyone, stand up please!"

All the students stood up as straight as possible.

"Now then…Left! Right! Left! Right!" As Obotir marched in his spot, so too did the class follow his lead, or at least tried to. After a minute of marching, everyone was in perfect unison with each other. However, Sonic had other ideas. Faster and faster he marched, faster still, until he was running in place at super speed. In doing so, he started to make a hole in the floor, throwing up debris in the process. Of course, Big Blue being who he is, he was having too much fun to care.

"All right, that's good!" said Obotir. "Our exercise is over! Settle down! Settle down, everyone!"

Sonic managed to come to a halt without sliding into the teacher's desk. By the time he was done doing his thing, some other students behind him were trying not to literally eat his dust, coughing and cussing as they returned to their seats.

"Since we've brushed up on our discipline," said Obotir, "I've formulated another special lesson for you bright young achievers!"

Sonic tilted his head back a bit.

 _(Aw crap, here we go again…)_

"As you all know," said Obotir, "discipline is necessary to a healthy society. However, discipline alone can only take a living being so far. True strength comes from another source: Community." Obotir wrote the key word up on the board. "What is a community? Surely, it is more than a miserable little pile of secrets! According to the Clark-Wilde dictionary, 'community' is defined as – among other things – a group of people who have the same interests, religion, race, etc etc etc… Yes, that's what we are…a group of people united by a common goal: to strengthen each other and our fellow students! Every good community needs a name. Ours shall be…'The Wave'! Why 'The Wave', you ask? Because today, we are going to wash away the decay brought on by the old ways and bring in a tide of renewal! Any objections?"

None of the students seemed to object. In fact, some of them were eagerly discussing this new name amongst themselves in muffled murmurs.

"Oh, and in order to make ourselves better-known, we must have a symbol…" continued Obotir "…something easily recognizable…something that will make people instantly think of The Wave once they lay eyes on it! Any volunteers?"

Without further prompt, Shadow walked to the front of the class and grabbed a marker. First, he drew a circle. In the center, he drew the Uruz rune. The symbol now complete, Shadow headed to his seat. The noise in the class continued as the students discussed the new symbol.

"An interesting design, Mr. Shadow," said Obotir. "However, are you sure we wouldn't want something a little more…recognizable?"

"Why bother embellishing it?" said Shadow. "It will get the point across."

For a few moments, Obotir was speechless. "Oh…of course! What a brilliant line of reasoning! Now that we have a name and a symbol, I'm sure that some of you have the feeling…the feeling of being a part of something far greater than yourselves! However, in order to get the full experience of this something, you are required to participate in it! That being said, I want all of you to repeat our two mottos!"

In perfect unison, the students said "Strength Through Discipline, Strength Through Community."

"Perfect!" exclaimed Obotir. "To enhance our connection to the movement even further, I want all of you to perform the following salute:" Obotir raised his right arm until it was parallel to the ground, palm facing downwards. "Mr. Knuckles, let the rest of the class see what this powerful, symbolic act looks like!"

Knuckles got up and saluted. "Strength Through Discipline, Strength Through Community."

"Stupendous! Mr. Sonic, Mr. Tails, Ms. Naylor?"

Sonic, Tails and Ivanna followed. "Strength Through Discipline, Strength Through Community."

Actually, something curious happened there: One of Sonic's fingers was bent slightly downwards when he did the salute. Perhaps he intended to send a message, although it was probably only apparent to those who could "read between the lines", so to speak.

That aside, Obotir called on Shadow, Rouge and Silver next.

"Strength Through Discipline, Strength Through Community" said all the standing students.

"Louder!" said Obotir.

Like the proverbial wave, the impulse to be a part of something greater washed over the classroom. One by one, students got out of their seats, chanting "Strength Through Discipline, Strength Through Community" over and over and over. Louder and louder they got, saluting in perfect harmony. By the time the bell rang, this simple classroom experiment had become something more, and in the days to come, there would not be a single student who would forget it.

* * *

At lunchtime, Sonic and Tails sat in awkward silence, until Knuckles showed up.

"Strength Through Discipline, Strength Through Community." Knuckles saluted.

"Uh…yeah!" said Sonic. "Same to you, my man!"

"Yeah, Live Long and uh…Prosper!" Tails flashed a peace sign instead.

"Oh, come on!" exclaimed Knuckles. "You guys didn't even do it right!"

"Yeah we did!" said Sonic. "I mean…we basically said the same thing, but we laid it on ya in a different way, that's all!"

"Sonic's right," said Tails. "Besides, there's an old Apotian proverb: 'Strength brings prosperity, and prosperity brings strength.'"

"So, what are ya saying, Tails?" asked Knuckles.

"I'm saying that phrases can be synonymous if they have the same connotation. Furthermore, synonyms are defined not only in respect to words, but also with respect to…"

Knuckles was almost tearing his quills out. "ALL RIGHT, SHUT UP ALREADY!"

Of course, a bunch of students stopped what they were doing and looked at Knuckles. After a few seconds of awkward silence, they carried on as usual. Actually, there were a few students who kept eating even though the heard him yell. They knew that Rad Red was quite the hothead, but they figured he was just full of hot air.

* * *

Once the school day was over, Silver and Blaze had a nice stroll together as they headed back home. Though she much preferred solitude, Blaze enjoyed Silver's company because he gave off some very good vibes.

"Strength Through Discipline, Strength Through Community." Blaze saluted Joseph, who returned the gesture. A minute later, she encountered another fellow student, and repeated. Not long after, Silver tapped her on the arm.

"Blaze?"

"Yes, Silver?"

"Do you have to salute everyone we meet?" asked Silver.

"Yes," replied Blaze. "As members of a community, we are required to form bonds with each other."

Sliver gazed into the horizon. "I don't know…it just doesn't feel right."

"But strength comes through community. Without strength, we can never hope to accomplish our goals."

"Since when did you ever care about community? You're the one who was always alone!"

"You are correct. For years, I shunned social contact, even as public education requirements were imposed on me. But this…I can't really explain it, but it has restored my faith in society, and now I can truly look towards the future with hope. If it can do this much for me, I suppose it can do wonders for all of us. Silver…please accept The Wave."

Silver didn't respond for a moment. Then, he sighed. "I really like you…but I still don't feel comfortable with this movement. How can I know that it's really what the teacher says it is?"

"I told you, I am unable to explain it. If you joined in, then perhaps you will understand."

"I…" Silver said nothing else. Instead, the two of them walked back home, with that awkward silence hanging over them like city smog.

* * *

At Sonic's house, Sonic and Tails were in their bedroom, talking about The Wave.

"OK, I'm worried!" exclaimed Tails.

"Bro, I'm not mad at you or nothin'," said Sonic. "I just wanted to give ya a little heads up, ya dig?"

"I understand, Sonic. What are we gonna do about The Wave, though?"

Sonic shrugged. "Don't look at me. I figured you'd have a solution to that jazz. Besides, I'm sure the teacher didn't say that we had to do that thing tomorrow, right?"

"But he's given it a name and a symbol! Don't you know how far he wants to go with it?"

"Don't you?"

Tails stroked his chin. "You do have a point there."

"Tails, if I get any ideas, I promise I'll tell ya all about it! Whatever happens, thanks for bein' solid, man!"

"You're welcome, Sonic!"

After they gave each other a fist bump, Sonic walked over to the TV.

"Sonic, what about your homework?" queried Tails.

Sonic paused in mid-stride. "Good call, my man! Let me check it…" Ol' Blue proceeded to rifle through his backpack, filled with books, school supplies and soda cans. Then, he put everything back.

"I'm good!" said Sonic. "Still, thanks for the heads up!"

"You're welcome! I'm always glad to help!"

"Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna get down with a little _CDK_ …" Sonic turned the TV on.

While Sonic was playing _Chainsaw Death Killers_ , Tails was doing some more studying. Unlike Knuckles, the Two-Tailed Wonder chose a more comfortable seating position – one that would allow him to better exercise certain unalienable Rights.

That aside, although the spectre of The Wave loomed over them, Sonic and Tails got through the rest of the day without any major happenings. That night, they slept tight…that is, until Tails woke up around 2:00 AM.

"I've got it!" whispered Tails.

* * *

 **Criticism is gold. Negativity and nitpicking are pyrite.  
**


	3. Day 3 - Strength Through Involvement

The next day at school, not only was Sonic not sitting up straight, but Tails had chosen to dispense with the whole "perfect posture" thing as well. Most of the other students were acting like sheep regardless of their actual species. Strangely enough, Mr. Obotir chose to overlook this.

"Well, aren't you quite the community!" he exclaimed. "I see some of you have chosen to go beyond what is required of you!"

Indeed, some of them had gone that extra mile/kilometer: Knuckles, Shadow and a couple of other students chose to wear pale green military-type uniforms, which also included red/white armbands with The Wave logo on it, Sam Browne belts and jackboots. Actually, Shadow wore his Hover Shoes instead.

"You should see it!" said Rotor Walrus. "We set up Myspace and Facebook pages for The Wave!"

"Oui, I am thinking that we should be creating our own frog, too!" said Antoine D'Coolette (or Depardieu, as some students knew him).

"It's _blog_ , you pathetic idiot," said Shadow.

"Yeah, I'm working on a whole website for us!" said Richard Shaw.

"Magnificent!" exclaimed Obotir. "Extraordinary! This is the sort of thing that our movement needs: publicity! By working to raise public awareness of The Wave, you have hereby demonstrated a third form of strength: Strength Through Involvement! Discipline and Community are very good, but without Involvement…without Action, our movement will wither and die prematurely. Fortunately, you've already taken a few steps to delay this dreadful decay, and by opposing, we can help The Wave to grow! But, I digress! Now that we have been further established, I have something that I would like to give to you…membership cards!"

Obotir passed out the cards to all the students. Each card had the heading "Proud Member of THE WAVE". Under this, there was a photo of the student from their school pictures, plus their name, grade level and history teacher's name.

"There, that should do it!" said Obotir. "If you turn your cards over, you will find that some of them have been marked with a red 'X'. Should this be the case, then that means you are now a Prefect. As a Prefect, you are directly responsible for making sure that everyone else obeys the rules, and you must report all infractions to me. Any questions?"

A few students actually raised their hands.

"Hey man, how come I didn't get no card?" asked an orange squirrel.

Obotir opened his mouth to say something, but then gestured to the back of the room instead. "Ladies and gentlemen, if you will look around, you will notice that we have a few newcomers to our movement!"

 _(Man, those guys have no idea what kind of mess they're gettin' into…)_ thought Sonic.

"I don't know how the word about our little movement got out," continued Obotir. "Regardless, I am delighted to see some fresh blood, eager to get acquainted with our wonderful little program! Since you've chosen to join us, allow me to give you a summation of our rules: 1. Sit up with perfect posture, 2. Be prepared for class, 3. Stand before answering or asking questions, 4. Questions and answers must be as short as possible, and 5. Preface all questions and answers with my name – "Mr. Obotir". Understood?

"Sir, yes sir!" said the newcomers.

"Splendid! Observe our students and follow their example!"

As expected, the newcomers assumed the 'perfect posture'. The way they took to it, it seemed as if it were second nature to them.

Obotir paced up and down the classroom, continuing his spiel. "I realize I've already mentioned this, but you will get very far with discipline. United by a common bond, you may find that you will be able to take action as easily as a well-oiled machine. If you make that effort and stay loyal to each other, then there is virtually nothing that you can't accomplish! Also, I want each and every one of you to be proactive and to recruit new members to our cause! For each new member, you must be able to recite their full name and grade level! As for them, they must be able to abide by our rules and swear absolute allegiance to the community! If they are able to pass these requirements, then we shall be able to carry out our goals quicker, more efficiently, and more often!"

By the time this speech concluded, Obotir was standing at the front again. For a minute, the class heard nothing but silence. However, the students sitting closer to the front of the room were more likely to notice him moving his mouth, uttering a series of inaudible phrases.

A few moments later, it became clear to them that Obotir was whispering "Strength Through Discipline, Strength Through Community, Strength Through Involvement" over and over, getting just a little louder with each repetition. Hearing this, the students began to whisper these three mottos in sync with him. As each row caught an ear of what was being said, they too joined in on the chant. The only students not joining in were Sonic and Tails, and maybe a couple of other converts. However, given the infectious energy that had taken over the classroom, nobody had really noticed or even cared. The chants of "Strength Through Discipline, Strength Through Community, Strength Through Involvement" continued on without them.

Finally, this ritual reached its grand crescendo when Obotir stopped chanting and saluted. Everyone except the two (known) holdouts stood up and saluted at the same time. The new kids were a bit slow to react, but they got the salute down pat. Strangely enough, nobody called out Sonic, Tails or anybody else for not saluting. Also, the author bribed the authorities to overlook this potential plot hole.

At the end of class, the students filed out neatly. However, Knuckles stayed behind.

"Mr. Obotir…" said Knuckles.

"Yes, what may I do for you, Mr. Knuckles?" queried Obotir.

"For the first time in my life, I feel like I'm a part of something special! Really, I always enjoyed being alone, but this is something else! I'll try to be the best Prefect that I can, sir! Like we say, Strength Through Discipline, Strength Through Community, Strength Through Involvement!" Knuckles saluted.

"Well, I'm glad to see that my precepts have not been lost on you! Have a wonderful day, and make us proud!"

After returning the salute, Obotir packed his things and departed. Just a few moments later, he turned around and saw Knuckles standing behind him.

"Is there something wrong?" asked Obotir.

"No, but I decided to become your bodyguard, just in case something went wrong," replied Knuckles.

"Bodyguard? Well…that's all well and good, but it is not necessary for you to do that. I appreciate your concern very much, though!"

"Are ya sure?"

"Yes, I am quite capable of attending to myself!"

"Trust me, I'm the best of them! I'm rougher than the rest of them – tougher than leather!" Knuckles flexed his muscles, and unlike another protagonist, didn't chuckle.

"I'm sure you are, Mr. Knuckles, but if you'll excuse me, I have important business to attend to."

"You got it, Grand Wizard!" Knuckles saluted before parting ways.

 _(Grand Wizard?)_ thought Obotir. _(Oh, those little rapscallions never fail to surprise me!)_

* * *

In the hallways, there was plenty of Wave-related activity going on, especially near the library. It was above the library doors that members of The Wave hung a banner, which had the name and motto of the group. Also, there was a table with flyers and insignias, where Blaze, Al and Ray the Flying Squirrel were doing promotional work. As students walked by, the trio urged them with "Learn more about The Wave!", "Join our Klavern!" and other such phrases. More than a few students took flyers, either because they had a genuine interest in The Wave or just because it was trendy to take flyers and other such handouts.

Meanwhile, the Babylon Rogues passed by the booth, having a lively conversation with each other.

"Guys, I feel like I've been born again!" exclaimed Jet the Hawk. "This Wave thing is awesome!"

"Yeah, boss!" said Storm the Albatross. "I'm glad that teacher completely gave up on tryin' to teach us about the Gay Nineties!"

Wave the Swallow giggled. "You said it! Who needs boring old history? I wish every class could be like this!"

All of the Rogues laughed as they continued on down the hallway. They passed by Rotor and Espio the Chameleon, also engaged in conversation.

"…I'm going to set up Twitter and Tumblr pages for The Wave," said Rotor.

"Good idea," said Espio. "I'll create a Bebo account and a Skyrock account, too."

"OK. So, how else can we promote this movement?"

"Perhaps we could sign up for Netlog?"

Rotor put his hand on his chin. "Hmmm…that could work."

"I think it would be wise for this movement to have an account on Pinterest as well."

"But how will that help us?"

"Sometimes, the similarities outweigh the differences."

Rotor didn't respond to that one. Rather, he silently contemplated the idea, not knowing all the possible implications involved in promoting The Wave. After all, the lure of increased motivation and stronger camaraderie sometimes does wacky things to people.

* * *

While a dynamic atmosphere hung about the hallways, Tails chose to distance himself from all that madness by going to the library. Sitting in a comfy leather chair, he was eagerly engaged with Miles Electric. Although the relative quiet helped, he would stop and take a look around every so often. Nobody really paid attention to him, however.

"Hey Tails!"

"Ah…!?" Tails quickly tapped the screen of his little gadget and looked to see who greeted him: It was Silver. "Oh, hi Silver!"

"What's wrong?" asked Silver. "What are you doing there?"

"Oh, I was just…doing homework!" replied Tails.

Silver blinked a few times. "Wait…I remember now! I have to see Blaze about one of my homework assignments! Have you seen her?"

"No, not since History class. I'll let you know if I see her again, though.

"Thanks! See you later!" Silver waved goodbye, and Tails did the same.

"Bye!" _(Phew, that was close!)_

Tails picked up Miles Electric and continued working. There were no more interruptions from this point to the time he finished. When he did, he powered down Miles Electric and removed his MagnaCoin from the machine. Next, he went to one of the printers and inserted the MagnaCoin, staying alert as he prepared to bring his new idea into fruition…

* * *

In the afternoon, Shadow was minding his own business as he walked down the hall. Usually, it happened that he bothered no one so long as nobody bothered him. Things weren't much different, although now, students would often salute him as he walked by. Naturally, he returned their salutes. Then, as he was occupied with his own thoughts and philosophies, somebody bumped into him. It was Bean the Dynamite.

"Hey, watch where you're going, peon!" said Shadow.

"Oh, sorry sir!" exclaimed Bean. "I was just so excited because I have a shiny and I didn't have a shiny at the beginning of the year but now I have shinies! YAAAAAAAAAYYY!"

Shadow just crossed his arms. Seeing that ominous glare, Bean calmed down.

"Oh! Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…Strength Through Discipline, Strength Through Community…Strength Through…uh…Involvement!" Bean saluted Shadow, and Shadow did likewise.

"Carry on, Wave." Shadow kept walking.

"WAAAAIT!"

Shadow turned around. "Yes?"

"I just remembered, we have a _biiiiiiiiiiiig_ problem," said Bean, "Can ya help me?"

"What is it?"

"Well, I love The Wave and I really want to be The Wave but there are people saying that I shouldn't do that because bad things will happen and I won't be good anymore and…"

"Calm down!" exclaimed Shadow. "CALM DOWN!"

Bean managed to calm down.

"Now…tell me…what exactly did they say about our glorious movement?"

"Well…" Bean scratched his head for a few seconds, and then snapped his fingers. "Ooh, I remember now! They said I shouldn't join The Wave because I'll get bad grades and then I'll cry and everybody will laugh at me and I'll be soooo sad and I'll be living…"

"DID YOU NOT JUST HEAR ME!?"

Bean shut his beak again.

"So…they claimed that your academic performance would suffer if you joined The Wave?" queried Shadow.

"Yeah…that's it!"

"Now tell me, who exactly said this to you?"

"I don't know!"

Shadow stepped in a little closer. "What do you mean 'you don't know'?"

"Th-that's just it! I don't know her name or anything!"

" _Her?_ Do you know what she looks like?"

"I really don't know!" replied Bean. "All I know is I don't want to lose my shiny!"

"Hmph. See you later." Shadow just kept walking, and Bean moved along as well.

Less than a minute later, a girl with black hair and tan skin said "hi" to Shadow. He paused, and slowly turned to face her.

"Excuse me, but did Mr. Ayaw give you any homework?" asked Shadow.

"No, but Mrs. Awai did," replied the girl.

The two of them saluted each other. "Strength Through Discipline, Strength Through Community, Strength Through Involvement!"

"I'm Marisa," said the girl.

"I'm Shadow the Hedgehog, Grand Dragon of The Wave, second only to our Grand Wizard."

"Nice to meet ya, Shadow!" said Marisa. "By the way, there's something I wanted to talk about…"

"Yes?" queried Shadow.

"Like, I love The Wave, and it makes me feel really good to be in a community, but I have a problem: Somebody said that we couldn't survive if like, society fell apart."

"Really? And who did you hear this from?"

"I heard it from my friend, Carl."

"And where did _he_ hear it from?"

Marisa shrugged. "I dunno. Like…I just wanna know if this is true?"

Shadow crossed his arms. "Marisa, you have nothing to fear. Whoever's spreading those pitiful rumors is only trying to weaken and dissolve our community. I assure you that we'll survive no matter what."

"Well, that's good. Thanks, Shadow!"

"Hmph. Just follow the rules, OK?"

"You got it!" The two of them saluted each other""Before I leave," said Shadow, "I must ask: Did you get your passport yet?"

"My what?" queried Marisa. Shadow showed his membership card to her. "Oh…I don't have one of these yet."

"Then see me after school in the library. We're handing out passports and outfits to our new citizens."

"OK then! Adios!"

* * *

Meanwhile, in another hallway, Mighty the Armadillo was on the path to his next class. He'd heard a few things about The Wave, although he wasn't part of the original group.

"Well, hello there!" Rouge was now walking alongside Mighty.

Mighty paused and saluted Rouge. "Strength Through Discipline, Strength Through Community, Strength Through Involvement!"

"So, you're a member of The Wave?" queried Rouge.

"No, not really," replied Mighty, "but I'm thinking of joining them."

"Well think again, kiddo!"

"Wha…?"

"Trust me, you don't wanna join them."

"And why not?"

Rouge wrapped her arm around Mighty, causing him to blush a little. "Listen…do you wanna know a secret?"

"Well…OK," replied Mighty.

Rouge whispered: "You see, The Wave isn't about strength; it's about control. They're just jealous of other students because they don't have a life outside of school!"

"Is this true? Then what am I supposed to do?"

"Be free, kid! Play sports! Read banned books! Rob a jewelry store! Oh…and about that last one: Bring all the jewels to me, OK?"

"O…OK!"

Unbeknownst to Rouge, Shadow lurked behind her, watching her from around the corner.

 _(So, the mystery is solved. I knew she was a tricky one.)_

* * *

Throughout the day, the mania continued to spread. Towards last period, Sonic ended up getting in a fight with another student. No one really knew how it started, but in any case, it was now a full-blown slugfest. The other guy attempted to deck Sonic, but Ol' Blue just grabbed the kid and threw him down on the ground. Furious, the kid got back up and made a futile charge at Sonic. All of a sudden, Knuckles got between them.

"All right, break it up, guys!" said Knuckles. "Break it up!"

As ordered, Sonic dropped the whole thing and zoomed away. In this short timeframe, the other guy pelted him with chants of "Strength Through Discipline, Strength Through Community, Strength Through Involvement!" As the furor died down, Knuckles moved on. Then, he encountered Shadow.

"Good afternoon, Prefect," said Shadow. "I have some information that might interest you."

"What do ya got, Grand Dragon?" asked Knuckles.

"You've heard those damaging rumors about our movement, right?"

"Yeah, what about 'em?"

"I know who's creating those."

Knuckles tilted his head a little. "Who?"

"Rouge."

Knuckles eyes widened a little, and for a moment, he was speechless.

"Actually, I'm not too surprised" said Knuckles. "I figured it was Sonic who was doing that, but I can definitely see her going against us. So what do we do?"

"It's simple:" replied Shadow. "We're going to convince her of the error of her ways."

"And how are we gonna do that?"

Shadow sighed in frustration. "Do you really have to ask that question?"

"Hey, I'm just trying to make sure!"

"Hmph. Just don't be too rough on her, OK?"

"But I'm rougher than the rest of them!"

Shadow facepalmed. "Knock it off with the jokes, Prefect."

The two of them parted ways, and once again, another cog was going to be inserted into the machine.

* * *

The final bell rang, concluding another school day. Everyone either headed straight back home or to their lockers. Rouge had to get a few things, so she was among those who stopped at her locker. When she got there, she was greeted by a very rude surprise: On her locker, in bright red paint, someone had written the word "UNTERMENSCH".

"Huh?" Rouge was more perplexed than shocked. Still, this was not an everyday occurrence, so she took out her smartphone and photographed the mysterious graffiti, reminding herself to look up the meaning later.

* * *

 **Criticism is gold. Negativity and nitpicking are pyrite.  
**


	4. Day 3 - After School

Before zipping back to his house, Sonic ate his membership card when no one was looking. By the time he and Tails returned home, they seemed calm, in spite of the fact that they'd been exposed to the fervor of The Wave.

"Hey Tails, how about we run around together? Maybe we can clear our heads!"

"OK, Sonic!" said Tails. So, once they put their stuff away, they got back to running. Tails usually spent his time studying or working on gadgets the moment he got home, but spending time with Sonic was also very enjoyable.

"SONIC!1!" Sonic skidded to a halt upon hearing that familiar voice, and Tails followed suit. Ol' Blue attempted to run the other way, but it was too late: Amy Rose was upon him. Actually, the pink hedgehog stopped short of glomping him. Instead, she stood up straight and saluted, along with her friend Cream the Rabbit.

"Strength Through Discipline, Strength Through Community, Strength Through Involvement!" said Amy and Cream.

"Wait…since when the heck did you two get the skinny on The Wave?" asked Sonic.

"Since yesterday!" replied Amy. "It's totally the greatest thing ever!"

"Yeah!" said Cream. "Miss Amy and I have always been close friends, but now I feel like we're even closer!"

"Chao!" said Cheese, Cream's pet Chao.

"Guys…" said Sonic, "I'm glad you're havin' a decent time, but ya gotta listen to me: The Wave is bad!"

"Bad?" Team Rose scratched their heads.

"Sonic, how can The Wave be bad?" asked Amy.

"It doesn't sound so bad to me," said Cream.

"Sure, it may not sound so bad to _you_ , but The Wave is givin' Tails and I some really harsh vibes!" replied Sonic.

"I enjoyed it the first time I tried it," said Tails, "but I knew something was wrong the second time around."

"Mr. Tails, what's wrong with wanting to be with your friends and improving the world?" asked Cream.

Tails stroked his chin. "Well…I suppose there's nothing wrong with being with Sonic…" ( _Actually…maybe one or two things._ )

"So, does this mean you two are gonna join?" asked Amy.

"Look…" said Sonic, "Have either of you heard about the Tedescan Civil War?"

Amy, Cream and Cheese shook their heads.

"Well look it up when ya get back to your pads," said Sonic.

"Mr. Sonic, why do you want us to look it up?" asked Cream.

"Trust me, guys!"

"History is a very important subject," said Tails. "This particular war is especially important! Ask your mom, too!"

"OK, I'll look it up, Mr. Tails!" said Cream.

"Chao!" said Cheese.

"Good goin'!" said Sonic. "Now if you'll excuse us, we gotta boogie!"

"Sure!" said Amy. "See you later, Sonic!" In a flash, Amy grabbed Sonic by the cheeks and kissed him passionately. Big Blue's cheeks turned a bright shade of ruby.

( _Man…I can't believe her sometimes._ ).

A few moments later, Amy stopped kissing him.

"Bye, guys!" Amy, Cream and Cheese went on their way, while Team Sonic stood there.

"So Tails, how were ya gonna stop The Wave again?"

"I was in the library today," replied Tails, "and I decided…"

Suddenly, Sonic and Tails were interrupted when a white Sedan Deville pulled up, blasting Tupac's "Point the Finga" from its stereo system.

"Yo, lil' dudes!" exclaimed the driver. Then, out of the blue, he gave a familiar salute. "Strength Through Discipline, Strength Through Community, Strength Through Involvement! That's what's up!"

The guy drove away, leaving a perplexed blue hedgehog and orange fox in his rear-view mirrors.

"Sonic, that guy wasn't in our class!" said Tails.

"Our class?" said Sonic. "Man, he probably ain't in our school, either! Come on, let's head back!"

* * *

Once again, Sonic and Tails were back in the proverbial war room, discussing their new plan. Sonic was reading an anti-Wave leaflet that Tails had printed up earlier in the library. The leaflet's main points compared The Wave to the Tedescan National Workers' Party and warned the reader about the evils of collectivist thinking. While it did acknowledge the benefits brought on by The Wave, it also presented some strong counterpoints. Heck, if these counterpoints were coffee, one could've floated a Euclid in them.

"Yeah, this'll throw dirt all over The Wave for sure!" said Sonic. "How many of these did ya print up?"

"I only printed a few because I didn't want to get caught," replied Tails.

"Good enough for now. I'll spread these around our 'hood. You get that printing press warmed up, OK?"

"OK!"

Once again, the True Blue Hedgehog was struttin' his stuff. He put the leaflets in mailboxes, on fence posts, light poles, even under windshield wipers. The number of leaflets that Tails printed wasn't enough to cover every block of South San Santos, but it was certainly enough to get people to think – or in the case of those who pressed the wrong key on their keyboard, "thimk".

* * *

In the evening, Rouge had chosen to take a stroll through the neighborhood. Doing so carried plenty of risks, but she was well aware of them and didn't allow it to diminish her enjoyment of the cool evening air. Luckily, she went 15 minutes without anything bad happening to her.

Not long after that, however, her ears perked up. Rouge knew that somebody was in the shadows, watching her, waiting for her. She didn't know who, but she knew that somebody was there. Thus, she too slipped into the darkness. Here, she tried to locate the mysterious individual, but that person always seemed to evade her. No matter how quiet Rouge was or how well she remained hidden, she just couldn't catch this spy. Finally, after two minutes of bat-and-mouse, she gave up.

 _(Good, I've lost him! Now maybe I can get my peace and quiet back.)_

Unfettered, Rouge continued her stroll. In a surprising move, Knuckles got in her path, emerging from behind a tree.

"Hello, Bat Girl," said Knuckles.

"Well hey there!" said Rouge. "What can I do for you, my treasure?"

"We have to talk."

"Sure, go ahead! I'm all ears!"

"Heh, that's a surprise. I didn't expect that from somebody who isn't taking The Wave seriously enough!"

Rouge gestured to herself. "Moi, not taking The Wave seriously enough?" She chuckled. "Knuckie, I think you're taking this 'Wave' thing too seriously!"

Knuckles took a step forward. "You gotta stop dissing The Wave. Now!"

"Oh, and now you're accusing me of dissing The Wave? HAHAHAHA! You're killin' me!"

"I'm serious. Stop saying bad things about The Wave!"

"Of course you're serious! I know you too well!"

"Rouge, I know you're the one who's spreading those rumors!"

Rouge stopped laughing. In spite of this revelation, it didn't take long for her to regain her smile.

"Well, it's nice to know that somebody recognizes me for doing such a good deed!" said Rouge.

"Stop it!" said Knuckles. "You're causing all sorts of problems!"

"Maybe The Wave is the problem. Ever thought of that, honey?"

"No, The Wave is the best thing that ever happened! We want you to join us!"

Rouge took a couple more steps towards Knuckles. "Awww…how sweet of you! Really, I can't understand why such a nice guy like you would get involved with something so bad! I don't want you to get hurt, darling!"

"Hurt? The Wave doesn't hurt anyone! It's for the good of the school!"

"You're saying that vandalizing people's lockers is good? Rouge let out a hearty laugh. "Stop it!"

Knuckles pointed one of his ham fists at Rouge. "Look, I don't know who wrote that on your locker or what it means, but I do know that you're hurting The Wave, so stop!"

Then, Rouge took a few more steps towards Knuckles, slowly.

"Make me, big boy!" said Rouge.

"Stop spreading the rumors!" said Knuckles.

"You're cute when you try to be tough!"

"Stop dissing The Wave! I mean it!"

"Of course you do!"

Knuckles began sweating a little and blushing. He stepped back a little, but only a little.

"Y-you gotta stop!"

"Chill out, big boy! I won't hurt you!"

"Stop it!"

"I want you to join me, too!"

Knuckles took a few more steps back. "I…I'm warning you!"

"Oh, don't be stubborn!" Rouge was getting very close to Knuckles.

"I…I…I mean it!"

"Hey, I said relax!

"S-s-strength…Through…Discipline…"

Rouge laughed some more. "You're so silly, Knuckie!"

"Strength…Through…C-community…"

"Man, you're such a riot!"

"Strength…Through…uh…" With Rouge nearly a foot away from him, Knuckles began sweating and trembling even more. "…St-t-t-trength…uh…str…s…STOP IT!"

Suddenly, Knuckles shoved Rouge to the ground. Although she only received minor cuts and bruises, she gasped, wide-eyed with shock. After the initial wave of horror had worn off, Rouge sprang to her feet.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!?" said Rouge. "ARE YOU OUTTA YOUR MIND!?"

"I had to do that," said Knuckles, "otherwise your slander would've condemned us all!"

"I HATE YOU, KNUCKIE!"

"The Wave is absolute! Strength Through Discipline, Strength Through Community, Strength Through Involvement!"

"I HATE YOU!" Rouge roundhouse kicked the ever-loving mucus out of Knuckles, sending him crashing into a nearby fence. She flew back home, leaving the Knuckster dazed.

* * *

Rouge's home was lavishly furnished compared to a lot of homes in the area, with mahogany and leather furniture to be found about the place. However, none of that mattered to her. She laid down on her bed, crying into her pillow. While she was crying, she heard somebody knocking on her bedroom door.

"Go away!" said Rouge.

"It's me."

Rouge's ears perked up. The voice behind the door was different, but she knew who it was.

"Fine…come in!" Rouge's crying subsided a little. Then, the door opened, and Shadow entered.

"I'm sorry," said Shadow.

"Huh?" Rouge turned her head, facing Shadow as best as she could.

"I know why you cry. I know it hurts."

"Shadow…"

"But know this: Our Klavern cannot be stopped. We are The Wave. Expect us. Accept us."

Rouge jumped out of her bed. "GET OUT! GET OUT! GEEEEET OOOOOOUUUUUUUUT!"

Although unfazed by Rouge's burst of anger, Shadow silently obeyed her command. After he left, Rouge fell to her knees and began crying even harder. This time, she held her hands over her face, and in these coming moments, she was unaware of anyone else's presence.

"Rouge!" She thought she heard somebody call her name, which didn't make things easier for her.

"Rouge? Yo, Rouge!" There was no mistake. Rouge definitely heard her name being called. Just a second or two later, Sonic showed up.

"Rouge…what's goin' on?" asked Sonic.

"Go away, Sonic!" said Rouge.

"Please…can ya tell me what's buggin' ya?"

"Don't look at me! I've had all I can take of this! I just want to be left alone!"

"Are ya sure? I don't want ya holdin' anything back."

"YES!"

"Let me be honest: I can't stand to see ya this way. I've heard stories about people holdin' stuff back, and trust me, they ain't pretty. If ya really want me to go, that's mellow. Just think about what I'm sayin' here, OK?"

Rouge stopped crying. "Actually…I have something to tell you…"

"What it is?"

"It's about that stupid Wave! I hate it so much, and I'm really tired of everybody praising it and doing that stupid salute! Don't get me started on Knuckie or Shadow, either!"

"Why, what'd they do?"

"Oh…nothing…except for taking THE WAVE too seriously!" replied Rouge.

"Like, how seriously are we talkin' here?" asked Sonic.

"I…I…oh, just drop it, Sonic! You couldn't understand what it's like for me! Look at yourself, Mr. I'm-So-Popular-And-Everybody-Knows-My-Name! How would you know what it's like to lose all your friends to this…this…this…" Rouge covered her face again and cried. Sonic knelt down beside her.

"You're right. Maybe I don't know exactly what happened or how ya feel, but I know this: None of this was your fault! Nobody deserves to get hurt because of this jive, especially not one of _my_ friends!"

"Huh?" Rouge uncovered her face, still sobbing.

"Believe me, you're not alone. Ya may not be one of my best friends, but I wanna help ya fight The Wave! Tails and I already have something cookin', and I know you're a real clever lady, so…maybe you could help us too, know what I'm sayin'? Really…ya don't have to join us if you don't wanna. I mean…I dunno what else I can say here. Like I said, I just wanted to let ya know that you're not alone…ya dig?"

For a few seconds, there was silence between the two. Rouge bit her lip.

"Sonic…d-did you really mean that?"

"Really." Sonic mustered up a friendly smile.

Without further question, Rouge gave him a hug and cried some more. The Blue Blur returned the embrace. Throughout her crying, Rouge just couldn't help but smile, the joy of having found an ally having gotten to her. She couldn't even remember the last time she cried like this, but this time, it felt so right, so welcoming. How could Sonic let somebody like this down? Sure, they'd had their differences in the past, but those were of no concern to either party. Rather, they thought of the time that he'd rescued her from a Mobian embassy attack, which ended with her giving a similar embrace. Gradually, her crying slowed down, and her heartbeat came to match Sonic's. After the crying stopped, all that remained was that sweet embrace. Sonic had received hugs from women before, but there was just something so special about Rouge that made him want to purr. Eventually, Rouge let go.

"Here." Sonic offered Rouge some tissues.

"Thank you!" Rouge wasted no time in blowing her nose and wiping away her runny makeup.

"Feelin' better?" asked Sonic.

" _Much_ better!" replied Rouge. "I didn't think anyone else was against The Wave, but now that I think of you, I think I'm in good hands!"

"Groovy! How 'bout we go have a drink?" Sonic prepared to exit the room, but Rouge blocked him and leaned against the doorway.

"Wait…are you sure you don't wanna take a lady out to dinner?"

"Dinner?" Sonic tilted his head to the side a little. "Do I?"

Rouge put her hands on Sonic's cheeks. "I think you do."

"Gnarly! Let's do it, Pruitt!" _(I already ate, but hey, that ain't stopped me before!)_

* * *

Once Rouge re-did her makeup, she and Sonic headed north to Phil the Originator. Located downtown, Phil the Originator had a rather energetic atmosphere when the duo arrived. Such energy was quite typical for the place. Underneath various neon signs and a few clocks, the employees worked hard to fill everybody's orders. Sonic had a couple of chili dogs, a bowl of chili and a Coke. As for Rouge, she ordered a turkey sandwich _au jus_ , Caesar Salad and a root beer.

"That was sweet of you to pay for both of us!" said Rouge. "I never imagined that Big Blue was such a big spender!"

"You'd be surprised!" Sonic inhaled one of his chili dogs.

"Ha, I'm still surprised you can stuff your face like that!" Rouge took a bite of her sandwich.

"What can I say?" said Sonic. "I'm the essence of speed!"

Rouge just smiled at him and kept eating.

"OK, so here's what's happenin':" said Sonic, "Tails and I wanna convince people not to join The Wave, so Tails is gonna print up these leaflets, and we're gonna distribute 'em throughout the school. I already hit up a couple blocks, but I figure it can't hurt to get the word out to everybody!"

"That almost sounds like what I'm doing!"

Sonic put down his chili dog. "Hold it…are you the one who's been sayin' those bad things about The Wave?"

Rouge began trembling a little. "Y…yes! Why do you ask?"

"Aw yeah, now that is fly! Gimme five!"

Sonic and Rouge high-fived each other. Then, Rouge wiped her forehead.

"Somethin' wrong?" asked Sonic.

"Oh, nothing. I was just a little worried…you know…because of Knuckie and Shadow."

"It's cool! I thought Tails and I were onto…"

"Check it out, dude, it's Sonic the Hedgehog!" Just then, a pale-skinned human and a purple duck rushed over to Sonic's table. Sonic and Rouge stopped eating when they heard them.

"What it is, dudes?" Sonic put on his best smile. "Come to get a couple of autographs?"

"Yeah!" said the human. He and his companion handed Sonic a pen and a picture of the Blue Blur.

"OK, so who do I make this out to?" asked Sonic.

"For Zero and Tau," replied the duck.

So, Sonic wrote the following message: "To Zero and Tau – Don't just sit there and waste your precious time. Be solid – take action!" along with his autograph.

"Thanks!" said the duck.

"Ain't no thang!" said Sonic.

"Hey there!" Rouge winked seductively at the two strangers.

"Hi!" said the two of them.

"Anyways…" said Sonic. "I enjoy bein' with the fans, but I gotta eat now, so maybe I'll catch ya later!"

"You got it! Bye, Sonic!" The two friends moved on, enthusiastically chatting about how they got to meet Sonic the Hedgehog in person.

As for The Man, he looked at Rouge only to see her glaring at him, arms crossed.

"What?"

"Just because _you're_ the big hero doesn't mean your friends aren't good enough for an autograph, too!" replied Rouge.

"Hey, I'm sorry about that." Sonic rubbed the back of his head. "If it makes ya feel any better…you can lay one on me."

"Cool!" Smiling, Rouge pulled out a pen from her cleavage, along with a photo of herself. She wrote the following message: "To Big Blue 3 – I'm surprised you didn't ask me for this earlier! ;)"

"Thanks!" Sonic put the picture away.

"You're _very_ welcome!" said Rouge.

"So, like I was sayin' before…" said Sonic, "…I think it's cool that you were spreadin' rumors about The Wave! I thought Tails and I were onto something with our plan, but you were in before we were!"

"Well, what can I say, darling? Great minds think alike!"

The two of them had a hearty laugh.

"Say…can I look at one of those leaflets?" asked Rouge.

"Fortunately for you, I got one right here!" Sonic handed it to Rouge.

"Excellent!"

So, while Sonic scarfed down the rest of his food and washed it down with his delicious yet non-nutritious beverage, Rouge examined the leaflet. As she consumed her sandwich, she gave off a bunch of "mmmm"s, "oooh"s and "ah"s. By the time she finished her sandwich, so too had she finished reading the leaflet.

"Well?" queried Sonic.

"Very good, Big Blue!" said Rouge. "You can do better than this!"

"Oh really? Lay it on me, then!"

"Sure!" Rouge wrote a few suggestions on the leaflet. Before handing the leaflet back, she kissed it, leaving a lipstick mark.

"Hmmm…" Sonic rubbed his chin. "OK, that's hip! Thanks for the tips!"

"You got it!" Rouge winked at him.

The rest of their meal consisted of some lighthearted banter, mainly about school and past adventures.

* * *

By the time Sonic and Rouge exited the restaurant, the cool evening air had hardly changed.

"Ahhh, that was one of the best meals I've ever had!" said Rouge. "So, where to?"

"Let's head to Obotir's pad!" replied Sonic. "He started The Wave, so maybe we can get him to stop it!"

Rouge's eyes lit up when she heard this. "You _actually_ know where he lives?"

"I've never been inside, but yeah, I followed him home a couple times while I was runnin' around."

Rouge chuckled. "Oh, you sneaky little devil! You always know how to surprise people, huh?"

"Never mind that, just lemme show ya the way! Up, over and gone! WHOOOOOAAAAAA!"

Rouge picked up Sonic and flew away. Thanks to the Blue Blur's navigational skills, the two of them were able to reach Obotir's house in good time. Obotir's house was one of the largest – if not _the_ largest – in South San Santos. Once at the front door, Sonic rang the doorbell. However, thirty seconds passed, and nobody responded, so he hit the doorbell a couple more times.

"Hello!" exclaimed Sonic

"Good evening!" exclaimed Rouge.

Nobody answered. This time, Sonic chose to knock on the door.

"Hey, anybody home!?"

Again, nobody came to the door. Sonic knocked harder this time.

"Hey, open up!"

Still no response. Sonic banged even harder.

"Hey man, are you OK in there? We gotta talk to ya!"

Finally, Sonic got a response. Actually, it was Rouge who came through the front door.

"Holy chili dogs!" exclaimed Sonic. "How'd ya get in?"

"Oh…I have my ways," replied Rouge.

"Ah, never mind that. Did ya find the man?"

"Nope. However, I did find something that you might be interested in…" Rouge handed Sonic a piece of paper.

"Let's dig it…"

This particular piece of paper could have been mistaken for the mad scrawling of a dull boy. All it had was a repetition of the phrase "Remember, the third in a series is often the strongest."

"So what the heck is this supposed to mean?" asked Sonic.

"Search me," replied Rouge. "This was the only thing I could find that had any value to us."

"What…no jewels?"

"I'm already looking at one." Rouge winked at Sonic. Ol' Blue blushed when he discerned her meaning.

"Ah, at least this night ain't a total loss. Let's get back home, right?"

"You got it!"

* * *

Sonic accompanied Rouge back home. What should have been a simple "good night, see you tomorrow" was disrupted when they discovered that somebody had spray-painted The Wave's symbol on Rouge's house. Underneath that, there was also the phrase "4 LYFE".

"Man, somebody doesn't know when to quit!" said Rouge.

"Mellow out!" said Sonic. "I know just what to do here!" He pulled out a spray can – not paint, but Anstrichlos paint remover.

"YO!" Before Sonic could do his job, somebody came from outta nowhere. Actually, when Sonic and Rouge turned around, they saw five people – all human except for a coyote and a raven – moving in on them.

"What the…?" said Sonic.

"And who are _you_ supposed to be?" asked Rouge.

"Strength Through Discipline, Strength Through Community, Strength Through Involvement!" The members of the group saluted. Judging by their purple clothes and bandanas, they were probably gang members.

"Oh yeah? Strength through _this_!" Sonic countered the salute with a bras d'honneur.

"Hey man, is that busta dissin' us!?" asked one of them.

"Hey, why you perpetratin'!?" asked another.

"Who ya rollin' for, anyway?"

"Rollin'?" replied Sonic. "FYI, we don't _roll_ for anybody except ourselves!"

"Then why you wanna buff out our tag, fool?"

"Because maybe that's how we roll!" replied Rouge. "Maybe we're just free-spirited citizens who are smart enough to think for themselves instead of following every single trend that mainstream society tries to force on us!"

"Man, you bustas wear snitch jackets!" said one of the gang members.

"Yeah! Hedgehogs wear snitch jackets!"

"Up your nose, too!" said Sonic.

"Hey, don't step to us!" said a gang member.

"Or what?" said Sonic. "Don't ya know who I am, turkey?"

"Yeah! You just some slob who's tryin' to flex on the 12th Yard Set! Get your ass outta here before I cap you!"

"Oh, I'm _so_ scared," said Rouge. " _Please_ , the suspense is killing me."

Suddenly, a couple of the gang members pulled out Glocks and held them sideways as they aimed for Sonic and Rouge's big heads.

"You wanna scrap now!?" said one of the gang members. "Huh!?"

Neither Sonic nor Rouge said anything further. After putting their hands up, they simply looked at each other and made a couple of quick gestures.

"Man, what the…?"

All of a sudden, Sonic smashed two of the gang members with a Spin Dash, while Rouge took out the remaining three with a roundhouse kick. The force of the attacks knocked the wind out of the gang members. Shortly after, though, two of them got back up.

"Let's get outta here!" Now acquainted with the power of a video game legend, the two conscious gang members fled the scene. Meanwhile, Sonic clapped his hands.

"Dy-no-mite!" said Sonic. "Now if you'll excuse me…" Picking up from where he left off, he successfully removed the Wave graffiti, and then returned to Rouge.

"Hey…sorry about that last part there." Sonic scratched his head. "Kind of a bummer, huh?"

Rouge put her hands on Sonic's shoulders. "Please…don't apologize, Big Blue! I had a really fun night with you!"

"Even though those turkeys tried to cut us down?"

"Are you kidding? That kind of rush was just what I needed! Now I don't feel so stressed out!"

Sonic shrugged. "Eh, what the hey? I'm hip to that! Good night, Rouge!"

"Good night, Sonic!" Rouge gave Sonic a peck on the cheek and a big hug. The Blue Blur happily returned the gesture before heading back to his pad.

* * *

Back home, Sonic met with Tails in the basement, where the printing press was located. They didn't have a full-fledged print works down there, but it would do the job.

"Yo Tails!"

"Welcome back, Sonic! Look at all the leaflets I printed up!"

"Yeah, about that…" said Sonic.

"What?" queried Tails.

"Suppose we had to make a few changes to the leaflet...would ya be up for that?"

Tails rubbed the back of his head. "I don't know…I printed up a lot of these already, and I think we've said all that can be said in them…"

"It's OK! We can recycle the old ones! Plus, I'll buy ya some more ink or toner or whatever this bad dude uses! Sound good?"

"OK, I think I can do that!

Sonic whipped out the leaflet that Rouge had marked earlier. "Awesome! Dig it and let me know what ya think!"

Tails took the leaflet. Then, after a few seconds of reading, he asked "Why is there a lipstick mark on this?"

"Jeez!" Sonic threw his hands up in the air. "Just read the flippin' thing, man!"

"You don't have to get upset at me."

Stunned, Sonic rubbed his hand over his face. "I…I'm sorry, bro. I guess this whole Wave thing is really startin' to get to me."

"Don't worry, I understand. I'll be here if you need any help! After all, I still remember when you told me, 'Once a brotha, always a brotha!'"

"Hey hey, good man! I'm glad ya haven't forgotten!" Sonic gave Tails a big hug, which was reciprocated. They felt so comfortable doing this kind of thing that they frankly didn't care what others thought.

That aside, once they stopped hugging, Sonic said, "So…about those suggestions…what do ya think?"

"Hold on…" Tails took a few more moments to finish reading the leaflet. "OK, I think I can work these in!"

"Rockin'! So anyways…I never thought I'd be sayin' this, but I think I'm gonna cash in early tonight. Chillin' out would probably be in my best interests after what I've gone through."

"That's fine with me, Sonic! I hope you have a good night!"

"I hope ya do, too!" said Sonic. "We're really gonna rock 'em tomorrow!"

"Yeah!" Tails pumped his fist in the air. After brushing his teeth and freshening up, Sonic headed back to his room, where he collapsed onto his bed. For some reason, it felt extra-comfy tonight. Perhaps the satisfaction of helping someone in need had a funny way of showing itself. Whatever the case, Ol' Blue curled up with his pillow, eagerly awaiting the next step of the plan…

* * *

 **Criticism is gold. Negativity and nitpicking are pyrite.  
**


	5. Day 4 - Strength Through Friendship

"Wakey-wakey!"

Sonic and Tails groaned as they awakened to an oddly familiar voice.

"Man…what time is it?" said Sonic. Looking at the clock, it was 6:14 AM. "Jeez, can't ya let us catch a few more winks?"

"Sonic…what's Rouge doing here?" asked Tails.

"Very good question, Fox Boy!" replied Rouge. "See, your blue friend here did a _very_ nice thing for a certain somebody, so by extension, I'm returning the favor to _you_ , too! Isn't that wonderful?"

"Favor?" said Sonic. "What kinda favor would ya wanna get us up early for?"

"Never mind that!" Rouge wagged her finger at Sonic. "We wouldn't want it to go to waste now, would we?"

"Right…" Sonic struggled to get out of bed, as did Tails. Fortunately, they had the strength to get on their feet.

Still a bit groggy, Sonic and Tails followed Rouge to the kitchen/dining room, where their favor awaited them.

"So…" said Sonic. "What's…WHOA!" On the table, there was a veritable smorgasbord: Waffles, bacon, pancakes, fried chicken, eggs, toast…the works.

"Amazing!" said Tails. "How long did it take for you to cook all this?

"Never mind that!" replied Rouge. "I'd much rather overeat than overanalyze!"

"I hear ya!" said Sonic. Re-energized by the smell alone, Sonic sat down and began shoving food in his mouth, being sure to leave some for his more restrained comrades. As the three friends sat down for breakfast, somebody else got up to join them: Uncle Chuck.

"Sonny, what are you doing up so early?" asked Chuck. Turning to Rouge, he added: "Oh, good morning, Miss! Have we met before?"

"I don't believe so. My name is Rouge…Rouge the Bat! And you are…?"

"I'm Charles T. Hedgehog…"

"But we always call him 'Uncle Chuck'!" said Sonic.

"Well…it's nice to meet you, Mr. Hedgehog!" said Rouge.

"Nice to meet you too, Miss Rouge!" said Chuck. "Say…aren't you one of Sonic's friends from school?"

"Why of course I am! I'm surprised Big Blue hasn't told you about me already!" Rouge took a bite from one of her waffles.

"Well Sonny, care to explain why one of your friends is visiting us so early this morning?"

" _Sonny_?" said Rouge. "Your name is _Sonny_? Oh, that is too precious! Come here, you!"

Rouge gave Sonic a big hug and scratched him behind the ears a little, causing him to purr. Ol' Blue gratefully returned the embrace. Tails and Chuck looked at each other and shrugged. When Rouge let go of Sonic, he had a major blush on his face, and he had to take a pause to stop purring.

"Anyways," said Sonic, "it's like this, Unc…"

Although they told Chuck a little more about her background, Sonic and Rouge mainly focused on how The Wave had grown since Day 2, how Rouge's two best friends betrayed her and how Sonic showed up to comfort her, plus their plans to stop The Wave.

"…and that's why I cooked such an enormous breakfast for you!" said Rouge.

"Did you really do that for her?" queried Chuck. "Sonny, I'm so proud of you! I always thought chivalry was dead among today's youngsters!"

"What can I say? I'm a one-of-a-kind dude!" Sonic gave a thumbs up and flashed his pearly whites.

"Now, I know I've warned you kids about The Wave," said Chuck, "but be careful. I've seen what happens when these things get out of control."

"Don't worry, Uncle Chuck!" said Tails. "We'll be careful!"

"Yeah," said Sonic, "we've been through worse than this! If everything goes OK, we should have this static cleared up by Saturday!"

Rouge smiled. "Saturday? Is that supposed to be a challenge? Whatever it is, I admire your confidence!"

Once Sonic and Tails freshened up, they didn't bother passing "GO". Instead, they met up with Rouge and went directly to school without collecting $200.

* * *

"Hey, over there!"

Actually, the trio made a brief stopover when Sonic caught something out of the corner of his eye. It was Silver, sitting down by a tree in the fetal position.

"Yo, what's shakin', Silver?" asked Sonic.

"Leave me alone, guys," said Silver.

"Silver, what's wrong?" asked Tails.

"The Wave! That's what's wrong!"

"You too!?" said Rouge. "Oh, you poor thing! Please, tell us more!"

Silver stood up. "I said leave me alone! I don't need your patronizing attitude hovering over me!"

"Whoa, cool it, man!" said Sonic. "If The Wave's buggin' ya, then we really wanna help!"

"I don't need your help, Sonic! I just want everyone to leave me alone right now!"

"Well, if that's what ya wanna do, it's copacetic with me. Before I go, though, can I say somethin' else?"

Silver sighed. "All right."

"I know ya like helpin' out the little guy and everything, so I figured that if ya joined us, then maybe we could stop The Wave and we'd all be happy. Believe me, I already saw one of my friends get hurt by this whole thing, and I especially don't wanna see you get hurt. I mean…I can't force ya to do anything, but at the very least, I want ya to think about your friends, OK?"

For the next few moments, everybody was silent. Then, Silver took a deep breath. "OK…I'll talk."

"So, what it is?" queried Sonic.

"It's Blaze…" replied Silver. "She's become obsessed with The Wave. I hardly saw her yesterday except in History class, and when I saw her later on, she refused to speak to me unless I joined the movement! Don't you understand!? She was my best friend, and The Wave has taken her away from me!"

"Don't worry, Silver!" said Tails. "We have a plan!"

"Come on, Tails, it's no use! The Wave is too strong!"

Sonic put his hand on Silver's shoulder. "Silv…listen to me, man! It IS use! Just because everyone's hooked on this groove doesn't mean we can't get 'em to stop! We can't lose, not when we're so close! Uncle Chuck once told me that if ya put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything! I mean, was it over when Iblis tried to destroy the world?"

"No, not really…" replied Silver.

"And was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?"

Everyone just gave Sonic strange looks.

"Ah…I read it in a book or somethin'. But never mind, the point is that if we're here and we got a plan, we're on the road to victory, baby! So, will ya join us, Silver?"

Silver looked at Tails, Rouge, and finally at Sonic. "You're right…we can't give up; this whole thing may depend on us! Now, what's the plan?"

"I printed some brochures, and we're gonna spread them around our school," replied Tails. "Wanna see one?"

"OK then." Silver began reading one of the brochures. Afterwards, he handed it back to Tails. "Hey, this is really good! There's only one problem…"

"Yes?" queried Tails.

"Are you sure that this will convince people to abandon The Wave?"

Rouge wrapped her arm around Silver. "Well what do you think, Silver Boy?"

"Well, I…uh…I don't know. I think it will?"

"Come on, there's no reason to be insecure! I know there's a big, strong hedgehog underneath that soft coat of yours!"

Then, Silver broke free of Rouge's grasp and held his fist over his heart. "That's right! I won't let anyone else get in my way! I can still save the rest of my friends! Come on, let's go!"

"Yeah, rock 'n' roll!" exclaimed Sonic. Supported by his friends' powers of flight, Big Blue got back to his original path.

* * *

The school day had not yet started in earnest when Sonic, Tails, Rouge and Silver arrived. For their first round, they showered a few leaflets on the school courtyard from up high. Upon landing, they commenced their main attack. At this stage, they each took a different quadrant of the school and spread their leaflets around the building: In the hallways, the bathrooms, offices, classrooms, other students' lockers…pretty much any corner of the building where somebody might look. It was a difficult, perilous task, but when the new Team Sonic was through, they managed to get their word out all over the school without being noticed. At the end of this heroic montage, they met up near the cafeteria and gave each other high-fives.

"Oh yeah, now that was slick!" said Sonic. "I'll see you cats in History class!" He gave a thumbs up.

"Thanks a lot, Sonic!" Silver smiled at him. "I feel much better!"

Rouge chuckled. "Oh, I can't wait to see the looks on their faces when they realize just how wrong they were!"

* * *

In their respective first-period classes, there were more students wearing the pale green uniforms of The Wave, but nothing else of note. History class was even more outlandish: Almost everyone there was wearing the uniform, except for Team Sonic. Furthermore, because of the surge in membership, some desks had multiple students sitting at them.

Even when Mr. Obotir – now wearing a cashmere suit – showed up, a number of students just wouldn't stop talking. He did his best to calm them while taking attendance, but he couldn't completely contain the conversation. Only when he began his next speech did they fall silent:

"Ladies and gentlemen, we've come such a long way since the beginning of this week! I never imagined that our initial exercises would be welcomed with this sort of zeal, but as the old saying goes: 'expect the unexpected'! Speaking of unexpected, I never expected to hear about any improvements in test scores from my fellow teachers, nor did I expect to learn that there are fewer students going to detention! For those of you who have been wondering how The Wave could benefit you, wonder no more, for you shall go very far in life! Ohohohoho…but enough about that, let us get to the main point: The Wave is upon us!"

Some students looked perplexed when they heard this, while a few others just rolled their eyes, figuring that Obotir was just stating the obvious. Shadow stood up.

"You're correct, Grand Wizard," said Shadow.

"Now now, settle down, Grand Dragon," said Obotir.

"But this is important!"

"Don't worry, you'll get to speak in due time! Now please, allow me to continue!"

"As you wish, my master." Shadow sat back down.

 _(He's so full of himself,)_ thought Rouge. _(I can't believe I actually put up with his crap!)_

"As I was saying, The Wave is upon us," said Obotir. "Since we've come so far, I have arranged for us to have a rally in the school gym beginning at noon tomorrow. Please bring your uniforms, membership cards, banners and any other paraphernalia that will proudly display our name and symbol! I highly recommend that every member of The Wave attends this rally, because a record turnout is essential! Why, you ask? Friends, students, members…there is something I haven't told you about The Wave…"

Obotir's last comment sparked a whole lot of conversation in the room. For some reason, all this talk was marked by an ominous cloud of anxiety. Perhaps it was the leaflets that Team Sonic distributed, or perhaps it was simply the anticipation of a revelation. In any case, the students listened.

"The Wave is far more than just a classroom experiment," said Obotir. "Across the nation, teachers such as myself have been recruiting and training students in order to form a nationwide youth brigade. Together, we intend to show the people of this country – maybe even the world – that we can improve society through the values of Discipline, Community, Involvement and Pride!"

A few students exclaimed "WHAT!?" when they heard this revelation. A few other students pumped their fists into the air and cheered for The Wave. Some of them even did the traditional salute.

"Very good…settle down! Settle down!" said Obotir. "Yes, I was fully aware that this disclosure would come as a shock to many of you. Nevertheless, I felt it necessary to tell you this because I believe that you have a right to feel as though your efforts are worth something!"

 _(Yeah, they ain't worth a wooden penny!)_ thought Sonic.

"Look at yourselves," continued Obotir. "You've accomplished so much within a span of four days! If you can maintain this sort of progress, think of how your efforts could change the real world…factories…stores…universities…hospitals…all these institutions and others like them would be vastly improved if the people followed our example!"

 _(Man, I wouldn't wanna see how messed up those institutions would get,)_ thought Sonic. _(I wonder if Tails is thinkin' the same thing?)_

 _(I wouldn't wanna see any of those institutions get ruined by The Wave,)_ thought Tails. _(I wonder if Sonic is thinking the same thing?)_

"At tomorrow's rally," continued Obotir, "a special guest will appear on television to speak on our behalf. As I have mentioned before, I hope that all of you will be on hand for this wondrous occasion!"

Shadow stood up again. "Permission to speak, Grand Wizard?"

"Permission granted," replied Obotir. "What do you have to say?"

"As I have said before," said Shadow, "your statements are absolutely correct. Last night, I saw something that looked like a secret code, but it seems that you just decrypted it." He then pulled out an issue of _Duh Magazine_.

"Ah, how interesting!" Obotir beckoned to Shadow. "Please, show us your findings."

"As you wish." Shadow brought the magazine over to Obotir. Upon reading it, the teacher gasped.

"Why…it's beautiful!" said Obotir. "It appears that others are already seeing the light!"

"Hey, whoa whoa whoa…GIMME THAT!" Sonic snatched the magazine to see what the fuss was all about. There, right before his emerald green eyes, was the page in question: A full-page ad showing an ocean wave. Contoured to this wave was the caption "THE WAVE IS UPON US". Sonic's eyes widened in horror. He believed the message so strongly that he failed to notice the Waverman Electronics logo in the bottom-right corner of the ad. When Ol' Blue came to his senses, he spun around to face the class.

"Guys, listen to me!" cried Sonic. "LISTEN! It's all a sham! He's tryin' to pull a fast one on us! Don't believe anything he says!"

"Mr. Sonic, please calm down!" ordered Obotir.

"No, he's jivin' us, I tell ya! HE'S JIVIN' US!"

"Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Sonic has obviously been under a lot of stress lately…"

"STRESS MY FOOT! Ya gotta listen to me; The Wave is too dangerous! Save yourselves before it's too late!"

Obotir gestured to the door. "Knuckles, Shadow…please escort Mr. Sonic from the classroom!"

"You'll have to catch me first!" Sonic blew a raspberry and ran for the door.

"CHAOS CONTROL!" Shadow tackled Sonic to the ground before he could escape. Meanwhile, Knuckles rushed over.

"Grab his arms!" ordered Shadow. Once Knuckles did that, they proceeded to drag Sonic away.

"Hey, get your hands off of my friend!" Tails tried to stop them, but Shadow pushed him aside, and Storm grabbed his arm.

"Don't even try it, kid!" said Storm.

"This is outrageous!" exclaimed Rouge. "If your 'Grand Wizard' told you all to jump off a bridge, would you do that!?"

"Aw, shut your face, lady!" said another guy.

"That's it, you're going down, punk!" Rouge attempted to have a go at him, but some Wave members got in her way. Pretty soon, there was anarchy in the classroom.

"Everyone, quiet down!" exclaimed Obotir. "QUIET DOWN!"

The bedlam continued. Obotir slammed a heavy book on his desk.

"ORDER! ORDER!"

This time, everyone calmed down

"Now then, shall we continue with discipline?" asked Obotir.

Silver got up from his seat. "Mr. Obotir, may I please go to the nurse's office? I have a headache."

"Very well, then."

"Thanks!" Silver exited the class.

"Now…where were we?" asked Obotir.

* * *

Sonic had been taken to one of the boys' bathrooms. Here, Knuckles restrained him while Shadow beat him up. The Blue Blur was bleeding pretty badly, but he was still OK.

"Don't you get it?" said Shadow. "Do you see what happens when you fool around with something greater than yourself? HUH!? How much time do we have to spend until you learn this simple lesson?"

"Keep goin', ya moron!" said Sonic. "I can't see it if it ain't a physical object!"

Shadow punched him in the face again. "Now do you see, Faker?"

"Yeah…I see! I see that it's open season…but ya won't get too far!"

Sonic's sarcasm earned him a punch in the gut.

"Don't toy with me!" said Shadow. "I'll end you if I have to!"

"Of course ya will, 'cause I know ya gotta blame someone for your own confusion!"

"MY own confusion!? Just what are you implying?"

"Look, all I'm sayin' is that we're on guard this time against your Final Solution!"

Shadow punched Sonic a couple more times, and then kicked him in the head. That last blow caused the blue hedgehog to yelp, spitting up blood as he did so.

"You're so pathetic, Sonic. Do you really think you can beat us? You're just one mortal. Nobody's going to miss you when The Wave takes power. Oh, and if you thought that _these_ would make any difference…" Shadow pulled out one of the leaflets, "…then you must be brainless."

"Hey man…" said Sonic, "…I-I dunno where those came from…but they look like they're gonna make more of a difference than you, wiseguy!"

"Oh really? We'll see." Shadow placed the leaflet over Sonic's face, and then he punched him in the face again. The leaflet had a sizeable bloodstain on it.

"Ask yourself:" said Shadow. "Are you willing to sacrifice yourself to further this hopeless cause?"

"H-hopeless?" Sonic spat blood in Shadow's face. "Man…I tell ya…"

Without warning, Silver appeared in the bathroom. Upon seeing him, Sonic smiled a little.

"WHAT THE…!?" Knuckles and Shadow were immobilized by Silver's psychokinetic hold.

"It's no use!" exclaimed Silver. "Sonic, run!"

So, Sonic just did what came naturally to him. He faltered a bit, but he shook it off, swiping some paper towels on the way out.

"TAKE THIS!" Silver slammed Shadow into Knuckles, knocking both of them unconscious.

Although not as fast as Sonic, Silver ran as fast as he could. He'd been scared a number of times before, but there was just something about the prospect of being chased by an artificial hedgehog that scared him even more. There was little way for him to know or care where he should go, just that he should avoid getting his face mashed in. Suddenly, somebody grabbed him when he passed by a certain door. Thus, he ended up in an empty shop classroom with…

"Stay dowd!" As it turned out, it was Sonic, covering his nose.

"Sonic, you scared me!" said Silver.

"Shhhhh!"

The two hedgehogs fell silent. In mere seconds, they heard footsteps coming for them – Knuckles and Shadow, no doubt. Soon, the footprints slowed, and Sonic and Silver could hear their opponents searching the general vicinity outside this room.

"Where did they go?" said Knuckles.

"Keep searching!" said Shadow. "They can't just disappear!"

In the room, Sonic and Silver remained hidden behind a cupboard. While Sonic kept a relative cool in spite of his injuries, Silver was sweating a lot and struggling to keep his breathing under control. After all, he just couldn't comprehend living life as a puddle of goo that had once been a hedgehog. To make matters worse, Knuckles actually opened the door at one point and turned on the lights. Fortunately, Sonic and Silver were still out of sight. Adding icing to their cake, Knuckles turned the lights off shortly after and left. Both fugitives expressed relief.

"I still can't find them," said Knuckles. "Believe me, I looked everywhere…twice!"

"Damn it!" exclaimed Shadow. "Let's return to the classroom! I'll deal with them later!"

"Right!" So, Knuckles and Shadow returned to class. Relieved, Sonic and Silver got to their feet.

"Sonic, are you OK?" asked Silver.

"I thigk Shadow broge by dose," replied Sonic, "ad I thig I'b bight bleed to death, bud other thad that, I'b groovy!"

"Huh? What?"

"By dose! By _dose_!" Sonic pointed to his nose.

"Your nose? Are you saying that Shadow broke your nose?"

"Yeah!"

"OK…maybe I can fix that!" Using his PK powers, Silver attempted to fix Sonic's nose.

"AAHHHHH!" exclaimed Sonic. Almost immediately, he felt his nose. "Hey, that feels a lot better! Thanks a lot, dude; I owe you one!"

"Actually, you don't have to repay me. I just want Blaze to realize that The Wave is a terrible thing!"

"Don't worry, we're gettin' there! If nothin' else, then maybe they'll put the brakes on this whole thing tomorrow!"

"But how?"

"We already got those leaflets out, but I had another thought: The way our teacher was goin' on about how widespread this racket is, well…maybe there ain't a nationwide movement, eh? Maybe he's gonna be the one on TV! Heck, maybe he's gonna tell everybody that the whole thing's over!"

Silver scratched his head. "Well…I guess it's possible. At this point, I'd give anything to stop The Wave!"

"I get what you're sayin'," said Sonic. "Just don't let it drag ya down, though. Even if those leaflets don't do jack, Tails and I got plenty more aces up our sleeves!"

"Like what?"

"Well, Rouge and I tried payin' a visit to Obotir's pad last night, but he wasn't home, so we're gonna go back after school."

"You mean…you know where he lives?"

"Yep!"

"But what will we do there?" asked Silver.

"Simple:" replied Sonic. "We're gonna try to convince him to stop The Wave! I mean, if he started it, then he should be able to stop it, right?"

"But what if it really is nationwide phenomenon? It'll be impossible for him to stop it!"

"Hey, like I said, he was probably jivin' us about that part. Do ya really think the government would allow somethin' like this to go nationwide if it caused people to tear their friends in half?"

"No, but…what about the people of Tedesca? Don't you see what happened to them?"

"Look, I don't know exactly why the war happened the way it did, but it's not gonna happen here! Not while we're on the case! By the way…let me say somethin' else…"

Silver tilted his head slightly. "Yes?"

"Silver, even though you ain't one of my best friends, I really like you. I may not have known ya for as long as Tails or those other dudes, but I'm glad you're with me! Also, I forgive ya for thinkin' I was the Iblis Trigger. Considering how heavy things are now, it wouldn't be cool if somethin' happened to me before I got to tell ya this, right? Anyways, even though ya told me that I didn't owe ya nothin' for healing my nose, I'm gonna pay you back anyways because you're a real solid dude! Heck…without you, I probably would've died too young! Thanks!"

Silver smiled again. "Sonic…you're welcome! Now that you mention it, even though I was trying to destroy you…I never hated you. Actually, I was also worried about how your friends would feel. I'm just happy I learned the truth!"

"Amen!" Sonic began to reach for Silver, but stopped. "Eh…I'd give you a five or hug, but I don't wanna get blood on ya."

"It's OK," said Silver. "What do we do now?"

"Let's go to the library or somethin'. Maybe we can cook up a new plan!"

"What about our other classes?"

"We should be fine! I didn't see everybody wearin' those uniforms, so…yeah."

"And what about your other wounds? Shouldn't you get those taken care of?"

Sonic looked at himself briefly. "Except for my nose, I don't think Shadow busted anything else. I'm a pretty tough guy, but just in case, I'll boogie on over to the nurse's office! Gotta heal, Neil!"

* * *

Despite spitting up blood earlier, Sonic's trip to the nurse's office revealed no injuries that required hospitalization, much to his relief. After getting patched up, the Blue Blur headed to the library with Silver, where they read encyclopedias and pretended to study. In his notebook, Sonic also drew a few pictures of Shadow saying how inferior he was compared to Sonic or getting injured in comedic ways. A number of Wave members saw them, but they ignored the two hedgehogs, figuring that they really were doing what they seemed to be doing.

When Sonic got to Geometry class, he witnessed a few conflicts between his teacher and Wave members. Apparently, the teacher was fed up with their formal, rigid procedures and threatened to have them sent to detention. Were it not for some of the less radical members of The Wave, this class could've blown up like History class. Conversely, Sonic's Biology teacher was more tolerant of The Wave, although he felt the saluting was unnecessary.

At lunch, Sonic, Tails, Rouge and Silver all sat down with each other, away from anyone wearing that damned uniform. Mostly, they ate in silence, although they would occasionally talk about homework. Knuckles passed by their table and happened to make eye contact with Rouge. As a result, she gave Knuckles the "evil eye" gesture, so he kept walking, secretly humiliated but nevertheless committed. While Team Sonic was talking about a story they read, Blaze showed up.

"How do you do, Silver?"

"Oh, so NOW you want to speak to me?" retorted Silver.

"Silver, why are you behaving so rudely?" asked Blaze.

"Just leave us alone!" Silver crossed his arms. "We don't appreciate your kind here!"

"Hey, hold up, guys!" said Sonic. "Let's just chill here!"

"Sonic, why are you doing that?" asked Silver.

"Sonic is correct," said Blaze. "I never wished to start any quarrel here. By the way, what's happened to you, Sonic?"

"What happened? Hey, didn't ya see Knuckles and Shadow draggin' me outta class?" Sonic pointed to his face. " _They're_ what happened to me, Blaze!"

"They did that to you? No…that cannot be! The Wave is supposed to be a movement of peace!"

"Oh, where have I heard THAT one before?" said Rouge. "Don't lie to yourself, Cat Lady! The Wave turned my Knuckie into a brainless monster who has no respect for other people's feelings!"

"But our Grand Wizard would never condone such a thing!" exclaimed Blaze. "We are about Strength Through Community, and community means respect!"

"Fine." Rouge crossed her arms. "Let me know how that works out when somebody you cared about shoves ya to the ground!"

"Hmph…you're so uninformed. I'll have you know that I never held anyone in contempt because they weren't part of our Klavern, nor has anyone looked down upon me for being a loyal citizen. As a matter of fact, I have even been saluted by students who were not yet members. Since you are an outsider, it is impossible for you to understand what The Wave is truly like."

"But how can you be so sure about the true nature of The Wave?" asked Silver.

"Silver's right," said Tails. "I tried it out for the first two days and it just felt wrong to me."

"Understandable," said Blaze. "Perhaps The Wave is not for everybody. Nevertheless, I remain convinced that everyone will become accustomed to it sooner or later, and that they too will share in its prosperity."

"Blaze, don't get me wrong," said Silver, "I'm happy that you found something that you enjoy, but I'm concerned for your safety, too!"

Blaze put her hand on Silver's. "That too is understandable. Please, discover the truth. It's not too late for you to join!"

"It ain't too late for ya to leave, either!" said Sonic.

"Maybe so," said Blaze, "but I am quite content in my Waveishness. I shall think about what you said, but I think it's highly unlikely that you or those leaflets shall discourage me."

Sonic shrugged. "Well…OK then. I'm just glad that ya treated us with respect instead of tryin' to barbecue us."

"Yes, of course. I vowed only to use my powers when truly necessary. If none of you have anything else to say, then I shall be going."

"Well…bye…" said Silver. "Have a good day…I guess."

"You too." Blaze left. However, she returned shortly thereafter. "By the way…my name is NOT Cat Lady. I am called Blaze."

"I'm called Rouge. I think you can remember that, that is…if your brainpower makes up for your lack of physical development!"

Blaze blushed and clenched her fists in anger as she walked away. As for Team Sonic, they continued their lunch as usual. That is, except when Sonic felt somebody squeeze his shoulder.

"Keep eating," said Shadow. "You'll get yours eventually." Shadow walked away, leaving a petrified Sonic behind. A few seconds later, Ol' Blue shrugged it off.

 _(Why worry? It's not like he's gonna come to my house or nothin'!)_

* * *

Later in the day, Mr. Obotir was in a meeting with Superintendent Coleman, a large, dark gray walrus. Although there were a few certificates and diplomas hanging from the walls, as well as an imported leather chair, Coleman's office was hardly any different from those of other school officials.

"…Now, I have no doubt that The Wave has transformed students in a positive way," said Coleman, "but some of the faculty members here have lodged complaints about the movement."

"Well, I suppose that was to be expected," replied Obotir. "However, I am most definitely sure that they too will learn to overlook these drawbacks!"

"Johann, I don't think you know how serious the problem is. Mr. Gansel and several other teachers have reported that their students are cutting classes in order to take part in The Wave. Some students even went to Principal Ross saying that they were beaten up for refusing to join!"

"Really?" Obotir adjusted his glasses. "No…this is appalling! The Wave is a movement of peace! I would never instruct any of my students to commit such hideous acts in the name of our wonderful group!"

"I believe you. However, you do realize that you'll be held responsible if this movement gets out of control, right?"

Obotir stood up and put his hand over his heart. "Sir, I am fully prepared to accept those consequences! Nevertheless, I assure you that The Wave will remain stable, and even if it does devolve into unrest, I've developed a backup plan for this sort of thing!"

"Very well, then. As long as The Wave doesn't turn into a full-blown riot, you have my full support."

"Thank you, sir!" Obotir saluted. "Strength Through Discipline, Strength Through Community, Strength Through Involvement! Strength Through Pride!"

Coleman stood up and returned the salute. "Amen!" The two men resumed their duties.

* * *

 **Criticism is gold. Negativity and nitpicking are pyrite.  
**


	6. Day 4 - More Afterschool Hijinks

The rest of the day came and went without too much fuss, although as Coleman said, a few more students were hassled for not being Wave members. Parallel to this, one kid almost choked his friend to death because he was tired of being pelted with pro-Wave messages. Team Sonic also received some more harassment, but it was minor compared to what the Blue Blur received earlier. Undaunted, Sonic, Tails, Rouge and Silver went to Obotir's house after school. This time, when Sonic rang the doorbell, Obotir came to the door.

"Well, good afternoon!" said Obotir. "This is quite a pleasant surprise! Do come in!"

Sonic looked at his friends. After some silent discussion, they entered, Obotir closing the door behind them. True to form, his house was well-furnished inside.

"Now, what may I do for my wonderful students?" asked Obotir

Sonic crossed his arms. "Ya may stop The Wave, huh?"

"Stop The Wave?" queried Obotir. "Why?"

"It's bad for the students," replied Tails. "First of all, it's robbing them of their free will. Not only is this impacting their academic performance, but it's causing them to do things that they wouldn't do under ordinary circumstances!"

"Impacting academic performance? But I've heard quite the opposite!"

"Well, have you heard that The Wave caused my favorite guy to shove me to the ground?" asked Rouge.

Obotir put his hand near his mouth. "Oh dear, that is terrible! I never intended for that to happen! The Wave is supposed to be…"

"…a movement of peace, right?" said Silver.

"Why…yes! How did you know this, young man?"

"My best friend told me. Well…she _used_ to be my best friend, but now she doesn't speak to me as much because I'm not a Wave member!"

"And look at what this _movement of peace_ did to me!" Sonic pointed out his various injuries.

"My…" said Obotir.

"Ever since yesterday, I feel like I'm being spied on!" said Rouge. "Nobody spies on me!"

"She's right," said Tails. "A growing majority of students are scared to be themselves or say anything against the movement! Doesn't the school's mission statement say that the students have a right to a safe learning environment characterized by trust and respect for others?"

Obotir remained speechless for what seemed like an hour. In reality, less than a minute had gone by before he said: "Yes…that is a superb argument! I understand your difficulties and shall take them into great consideration!"

"So does this mean you're gonna stop The Wave?" asked Sonic.

"Why heavens…no!" replied Obotir. "Haven't you remembered that this is a nationwide phenomenon?"

"Yeah…and Silver invented the Internet!"

"Wha…?" said Silver.

"Hey, I'm jokin', dude!" Sonic turned to Obotir. "But seriously, you're gonna have to do better if ya wanna pull a fast one on The Fastest Thing Alive!"

"Mr. Sonic, I assure you that this is no lie," said Obotir.

"But if it is a nationwide movement, then don't you have proof?" asked Tails.

"That is a good question," replied Obotir, "but surely, you remember that magazine ad, do you not?"

"I do remember something about a magazine, but I still don't believe it!"

"Well, as I have mentioned before, this sort of thing does prove to be shocking at first. Even so, I have already mentioned that I will attempt to make each of my students as comfortable in this movement as possible!"

"You will?" queried Rouge. "Well, you seem like a man who loves to be in control, so I'm sure you'll think of something!" She fluttered her eyelashes at Obotir.

After a few seconds of silence, Obotir said: "Ladies and gentlemen, I have also formulated some emergency procedures to ensure that The Wave does not turn violently destructive. Fortunately for you, Sonic, this does indeed mean that I – as well as other teachers like me – can stop The Wave if things go wrong! Everything shall be fine! However, you must trust me on this!"

Sonic said nothing. Once again, he looked at Tails, then at Rouge, and finally at Silver. The four friends kept looking at each other, silently discussing whether they should accept this man's words. Finally, Sonic looked back to Obotir.

"OK, we believe ya…" said Sonic, "…for now. Just hear this: if somethin' really bad goes down and you can't stop it, we're gonna do everything we can to make sure that ya take the fall for this scam! Ain't that right, guys?"

"Yeah!" said Tails, Rouge and Silver.

"All right, all right," said Obotir, "there's no need for that sort of threat! I've already given you my assurance! Now if you shall excuse me, I have tests to grade, and I am a busy man, so goodbye now! Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye!"

Without further question, Team Sonic exited Obotir's house.

"Well, what do you think, Sonic?" asked Tails.

"Dude, you already know what I think," replied Sonic. "Anyways, I was at the library with Silver, and I got an idea for a backup plan!"

"Good job! I had one, too!"

"Well let's hear yours first, man!"

* * *

Later in the evening, a bunch of Wavers had a gathering of their own at an abandoned lot near the southwestern border of the city. Here, they had a barbecue, listened and/or danced to the music and just had a jovial time. After all, even The Wave had to have a little room for fun.

Not everyone was having a good time, though. At one point, Bunnie sat down on an old beat-up car, sighing as she rested her head in her hands. Eventually, Antoine noticed.

"What is the wrongs, _ma cherie_?" asked Antoine.

"Oh…it's nothin'" replied Bunnie. "I was just hopin' 'ol Sally Girl would come on down to this shindig."

"Oh…I am Starsky to be hearing that." Antoine put his hand on her lap. "Do not be so sad; I am shore that she will be seeing the right, non?"

"You're right, sug. I 'spose it ain't no use cryin' over unspilled milk, anyhow…"

"Hey everybody, come on!" exclaimed Ivanna. "Turn the music down! Our Grand Dragon has something to say!"

Immediately, all the Wave members finished what they were doing and flocked to an abandoned shed, which Shadow stood atop.

"Fellow citizens, thank you for attending this Klonvocation," said Shadow. "I never believed that I would look forward to joining a bunch of mere mortals, but since you've joined me for a good cause, I appreciate it. As you know, tomorrow is a big day. Our Grand Wizard has promised us a special guest on our behalf, but no clues to our guest's identity. However, I believe that Providence would never have allowed us to see the victory of The Wave if it wanted to destroy us in the end.

All my life, I have very often been a prophet, and have usually been ridiculed for it. During the time when I struggled to understand myself, the government was the only entity that received my prophecies with laughter when I said that I would one day take over the leadership of the State, and with it that of the whole nation, and that I would – among other things – settle the planet's problems. Their laughter kept on going, but I think that they have been crying on the inside for some time now.

Today, I will be a prophet again: if the opponents of The Wave in and outside of our school should succeed in destroying our movement, then the result will not be the Mobian planet plunging into darkness, and thus the victory of evil, but the annihilation of the planet itself! However, in the midst of setbacks that I encountered during my period of struggle, I never lost my beliefs. Providence has had the last word and brought me success.

I shouldn't have to remind you to be present at that rally and that you're a pathetic mortal if you don't! I'm sure you also know what happens to those who oppose our Klavern, right?"

"Right!" The members of the wave pumped their fists in the air.

"So, before I waste any more words, allow me to conclude on this note: Strength Through Discipline, Strength Through Community, Strength Through Involvement, Strength Through Pride!" Shadow saluted.

"HOORAH!" The other Wavers followed in unison. Once again, the same energy that swept over the classroom earlier had now swept over this dead lot. And once again, this energy ensured that they were oblivious to any other pieces moving on the board …

* * *

That same evening, Team Sonic was having a gathering of their own at Sonic's house. Sonic and Silver were watching _The Towering Inferno_ , Rouge was playing _Mario Kart 64_ on her 3DS, and Tails was working with Miles Electric.

"Hey, it was really nice of you to buy pizza for us!" said Silver.

"No problemo!" Sonic took a bite from his slice of pizza. "Hey Tails, how's our backup plan comin' along?"

"I'm doing OK, but I still have plenty of work to do," replied Tails.

"OK, keep on truckin', pal!" Sonic turned back to the TV.

"What's up, Sonic?"

"Wha…!?" Sonic turned around and saw Espio sitting on the back of the couch, clad in his Wave uniform. "What are ya doin' here, Espio!?"

"Sonic, I know you're probably upset at me," replied Espio, "but I come to you as a member of the Chaotix and a friend, not as a member of The Wave."

"Oh really?" Rouge put down her 3DS. "Then why are you here?"

"I have come to warn all of you," said Espio. "You're in grave danger. Our Grand Dr…I mean Shadow…has decided that all enemies of The Wave are to be dealt with harshly. As much as I have enjoyed taking part in this movement, my conscience cannot allow me to sit aside as my real friends get hurt."

"Hurt?" said Silver. "Did he say how he would deal with his enemies?"

"No," said Espio. "All the same, please be on your guard."

"Oh, I'm _sooooo_ scared!" said Sonic. "What else could Shads do…"

Suddenly, Sonic was interrupted by the sound of shattering glass. One of the windows had been broken. Shortly after, there was a loud sound, and then part of the wall burst.

"GET DOWN!" Sonic hit the deck, and his friends followed suit. Outside, a group of thugs in a beat-up Toyota Camry opened fire on Sonic's house with nines and machine pistols. Once they were done spraying the house with lead, they sped off. Although the house had suffered its share of damage, nobody was killed or injured as a result of the drive-by. A certain hedgehog's PK powers helped ensure this, too. Uncle Chuck rushed out from his room after the shooting stopped.

"Sonic, Tails…are you all right!?" asked Chuck.

"We're fine, Unc!" replied Sonic. "Just stay here; I got a plan!" He ran out the door.

"Sonic, WAIT!" said Chuck. "It's too…dangerous…"

Being who he was, Sonic could care less about the dangers that his plan entailed. He darted from tree to tree, bush to bush, until he caught up to the gang car. Still, he remembered to hang back a bit, lest he suffer a nasty case of lead poisoning. After a few seconds of following the car, he jetted back home.

 _(All right! See what ya get when ya mess with the wrong cat, huh!)_

* * *

One phone call later, the San Santos PD arrived at Sonic's house. A couple of black-and-whites showed up to guard the scene as the detectives did their work. Overall, the detectives were quite thorough, taking samples of broken glass, bullets, shell casings and tire tracks, among other things.

In addition to physical evidence, they took what would become twenty-seven 8X10 color glossy photos with a paragraph on the back of each one explaining what they were, to be used as evidence against the wayward gangbangers who were foolish enough to attack Sonic the Hedgehog. These photos documented the approach, the getaway, the northwest corner, the southwest corner, and that's not including the aerial photography.

Speaking of Sonic, he and his friends were each being questioned – separately, of course – about the incident. The detective who was questioning Sonic was Lt. Ericson, a tall, balding black man. Sonic had already told him the plate number of the car.

"Did you get a good look at the perpetrators?" asked Ericson.

"No man," replied Sonic. "Any closer and I woulda been dead meat!"

"Do you know anyone who might be connected with the perpetrators?"

"Not offhand, but…there's somethin' I gotta tell you about."

Ericson leaned in a little closer. "Yes?"

"Ever heard of The Wave?"

"No, I can't say I have.

"Well, it's like this, see…" Sonic made random gestures with his hands as he talked. "One of our teachers started this experiment in Discipline, but then the next day, he started rappin' to us about Community, and that's when things got real bad! Next thing we know, he's comin' up with slogans, then a symbol, and even a salute!" Sonic did The Wave salute. "I'm tellin' ya, dude, this whole thing's…"

"Slow down there, son. Now, why did your teacher start this experiment?"

"Like I said, he wanted to teach us discipline and all that jive, ya know?" said Sonic.

"I see," said Ericson. "Why did the teacher talk to you about Community?

"I ain't 100% sure, but I remember him sayin' that Discipline wasn't enough for some reason or other. Next thing I know, there's this banner above the library, and this other kid tried to slug me for not doin' the salute! Look, let's skip all this static and get to the point: You guys gotta stop The Wave!"

"And what do you expect us to do?"

Sonic shrugged. "You're tellin' me. I mean, can't the cops do somethin' if a thing like this gets outta control?"

"We could, but without enough evidence, there's not much we can do."

"Evidence? Listen here!" Sonic pointed at Ericson. "Yesterday, some guy pulled up to me and my pal Tails and did that salute! Some other guys tried to blow us up for tryin' to remove graffiti! Two of my friends beat me up earlier today because I tried to tell the truth! And if that ain't enough, these cats are gonna have a rally in the school gym tomorrow!"

Ericson grasped his notepad with both hands. "Son, I understand that this is a difficult time for you and your family. We'll see what we can do about the rally, but unless you can prove that your teacher is willfully and maliciously ordering students to hurt people, then there's only so much that we can do, understand?"

Sonic sighed. "Yeah…I get ya. Anything else ya wanna know about?

"That's all for now. If you need me, here's my card…" Ericson handed Sonic a business card.

When the investigation was over, the police opened up the scene again and headed back to the station, leaving Team Sonic behind with the bitter reminder of what could have been.

"At least we're alive," said Tails.

"What do we do now?" asked Silver.

"Silver, Rouge, you two best go on home," said Uncle Chuck.

"Hold up," said Sonic. "If they go out there, The Wave members will know we're still alive and then we'll get shredded!"

"Don't worry about it!" said Rouge. "I can take care of myself!"

"Hey, if you're sure about it, then it's cool with me. I just don't want ya gettin' blown up, eh?"

"Relax, my little Sonny baby! You've saved my skin twice already! I think I can take care of myself from here! Thanks!" Rouge put her hands around Sonic's face and kissed him on the lips. Sonic just couldn't help but blush.

"Sure…yeah…no problemo!"

"Mr. Hedgehog…" Silver held his hands behind his back. "C…can I stay with you guys tonight? I don't feel safe going back home."

"I don't know, Silver…" replied Chuck.

"But what if Sonic's right?" asked Silver. "What if they find out I'm still alive? I can't allow myself to get hurt!"

Chuck looked off into the distance. He knew it was best for Silver to go home, but he also knew that Sonic cared about his friends.

Finally, after a few moments, Chuck said, "All right, Silver…but only for tonight, understand?"

"I understand," said Silver.

"Groovy!" said Sonic.

"But wait," said Tails. "Where will Silver sleep?"

Silver scratched his head. "Good question…"

"That's easy!" Sonic raised his index finger. "He can sleep in our room!"

"Do we even have enough space in there?" asked Tails.

Sonic paused for a moment.

"Good question. I think we can manage it!"

* * *

At bedtime, Sonic, Tails and Silver all squeezed into Sonic and Tails' bed. After trying to toss and turn for a few minutes, Tails shook Sonic gently.

Sonic groaned. "Huh…? What it is, man?"  
"Sonic, could you please move over?" asked Tails. "I think you're laying on one of my tails!"

"I could, but then I'd push Silver off," replied Sonic.

"Wha…?" Silver must've been a light sleeper, for Sonic and Tails' conversation was enough to wake him up.

"Sonic, what's going on?"

"Silv, this ain't workin' out," said Sonic. "One of us is gonna have to sleep on the floor tonight. Since you're our brotha for tonight, I'm goin'."

"No, I'll go!" said Silver.

"Are ya sure?" Sonic put his hand on Silver's shoulder. "I don't want ya to be uncomfortable or nothin'!"

"I'll be fine! Just let me get some sleep!"  
"Right. I just wanna do somethin' else, too…" As the two hedgehogs got out of bed, Sonic went to the closet and fetched another blanket. Around this time of year, they weren't needed, but as the saying goes, better safe than sorry.

"Here," Sonic handed the blanket over.

"Thank you!" said Silver.

"You got it! Now, let's get our forty winks, huh? We got a big day ahead of us!"

After exchanging goodnights, everyone went to sleep. Actually, Silver had trouble actually getting to sleep. Sonic and Tails fared better, but Sonic couldn't help but wonder what was really going to go down at the rally tomorrow. Would their backup plan succeed? Did their opponents have a surprise checkmate in store? Eventually, the Blue Blur stopped troubling himself with such questions and let the comforting caress of sleep take hold of him.

* * *

 **Criticism is gold. Negativity and nitpicking are pyrite.**


	7. Day 5 - Strength Through Ingenuity

**A/N: Sorry if you thought I forgot to update last week. There was an error when submitting the previous chapter, so it didn't bump up to the top of the list. Hopefully, that won't happen this time.**

* * *

Today was an unusually warm day for the time of the season. Then again, San Santos was known for its balmy weather, so there were no surprises here.

When they got up, Sonic, Tails, Rouge and Silver didn't go to school. Instead, after going to Coltrane's Chicken 'n' Waffle Estates for breakfast, they played hooky and went to Rouge's. The aim of their game was to avoid getting hurt before the rally, so they went into the basement of her house. Unlike a typical basement, Rouge's was just as clean and furnished as the rest of her house, and it was here that they played some video games and watched an episode of _Runners_ before going to school.

Actually, when they were within a block of the school, Sonic ordered them to duck into an alleyway.

"Sonic, what are we doing here?" asked Tails.

"Let's just say I wanna see if we're gonna need that backup plan…" From his disguise bag, Sonic pulled out four Wave uniforms, complete with armbands.

"You expect me to wear one of THOSE?" said Rouge.

"Look, I know these ain't runway fashion," said Sonic, "but trust me, they'll fit. Plus, we won't have to wear 'em for too long if everything's smooth, ya dig?"

Rouge sighed. "OK then…"

So, the four heroes quickly changed into their new getups. Naturally, they looked themselves over after changing.

"Hey…this is actually pretty stylish!" said Rouge.

"I don't know," said Silver. "This uniform feels pretty tight."

"Don't sweat it!" said Sonic. "Let's just get to that rally! Zip and rip!"

* * *

Team Sonic headed straight for the gym once they got to school. By this time, the hallways were largely quiet, and there were the usual banners decorating the area around the gym entrance. Beyond the door, a rhythmic booming could be heard, as if caused by music. Outside, Storm and Bark stood guard, making sure unauthorized visitors didn't get in.

"'Scuse me, comrades," said Sonic, "but we're here for the rally!"

"Sorry, bub," said Storm, "but we ain't lettin' anyone else in."

"Say what!?"

"Yeah, the Grand Oz…"

Bark elbowed Storm gently.

"…sorry…Grand Wizard said that we can't let anybody else in!"

"But we're on your side!" said Tails.

"Yeah!" said Sonic. "Strength Through Discipline, Strength Through Community, Strength Through Involvement!" He did the salute, and his friends followed.

"But…but…" Storm looked over and saw Bark returning the gesture. Thus, he had no choice but to follow suit.

"All right, go on in." After finishing the salute, Storm helped Bark unlock the doors.

"Thanks!" said Sonic. "See you around, my man!"

"Uh…yeah!" said Storm.

 _(Heh heh…too easy!)_ thought Sonic.

Rouge blew a kiss at the two guards as she passed.

When Team Sonic walked through the doors, they witnessed one of the most awe-striking spectacles they'd ever seen in their lives. Many Wave members were present, Knuckles, Shadow and Blaze being among them. Shadow even had his own podium. A bunch of them stood in the bleachers, saluting and repeating the mottos. Some of them marched in a circle around the center of the gym, keeping in rhythm as the Koniggrätzer Marsch played endlessly over the sound system. However, the most shocking aspect of all this was that the students who were marching happened to be marching around a pile of burning library books. Fortunately, the gym had sufficient ventilation to prevent anyone from dying of noxious fumes.

"Sonic…" said Tails, "…I think we're pilgrims in an unholy land."

Sonic didn't respond to that one. He merely looked on in silent shock and disappointment, along with the rest of his friends. None of the other Wavers particularly noticed or cared, given the mad atmosphere in the gym. Then, at one point, the lights dimmed.

"Ladies and gentlemen," said Shadow, "cease whatever you're doing! Our special guest is about to make his premiere!"

The music stopped. Some of the Wave members grabbed fire extinguishers and put out the massive bonfire, all the better to hear their special announcement. All of them gathered around as a holographic projector formed its own screen across from the bleachers. Then, it happened…

"Ladies and gentlemen, many thanks to you for being present at today's rally!" said Obotir, who was on the screen.

The members of Team Sonic gasped silently upon seeing that Obotir was the special guest. Nevertheless, they decided to stay put.

"Now then, before I begin, I would like to say a few things…" Obotir could be seen shuffling some papers around on screen. "'I needed money. I used to be a stick-up kid, so I thought of all the devious things that I did. I used to roll up, this is a hold up, ain't nothin' funny! Stop smiling, be still, don't nothin' move but the money! But now, with The Wave, I feel righteous, so I might just get a nine-to-five!'"

Obotir moved on to the next paper. "'For the entire school year, I have been really bored because I already know all this stuff and I hate listening to the teachers. Now that I'm in The Wave, I feel more alive because every day is a new beginning for me! Even when me and my friends talk about the same old stuff, we have more fun!"

Another paper came up. "'I was tired of the usual school routine. I felt like there was more to life. When I joined The Wave, I found new meaning. Wherever I go, I feel like I can make a difference in this world! Not only do I eagerly await the day when I graduate, but I'll savor every day until then!"

Finally, Obotir put down the papers and cleared his throat. "These were but a few excerpts of the wonderful papers that you submitted to me yesterday! I must say, I admire the effort that all of you put into them and I am very happy to see that you're still keeping good discipline! However, you will have to keep this up if you want to succeed!

You see, the country has been in a state of decline for a few decades. Crime has risen, the economy has gone down and job prospects are at an all-time low. Our politicians tell us that things have improved since the old days, but nothing could be further from the truth! These politicians hide themselves away, but they only started the war! Why shouldn't they go out to fight? Alas, they leave that all to the poor!"

A bunch of Wave members cheered and booed simultaneously, as large groups might do when told such triggering words. They also saluted.

"Fortunately, as you all know, things will be different this time! I've already told you about the nationwide youth brigades, but here's the real announcement: Ladies and gentlemen, in the name of The Wave, I have been nominated to run for President!"

All the Wave members cheered, saluted and chanted over and over.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Upon hearing this piercing scream, everyone turned towards its origin: Silver. Trembling, he quickly turned red and was starting to form a puddle of sweat.

"SEIZE THEM!" shouted Shadow. "Seize the traitors!"

Sonic was fast, but the Wavers jumped him and his friends before they could get away. As Team Sonic was being held down, Shadow jumped over to them.

"How many times do we have to tell you, Sonic?" said Shadow. "We can do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way!" He gave Sonic a vicious uppercut, putting him out of action.

 _The easy way._

* * *

When Sonic came to, he and his friends were in a dark room, shackled to some metal tables. The only light in the room came from the lamps directly above them, the better to focus on their plight. They had no idea where exactly they were, although Big Blue suspected they were still on the school grounds.

"It's been too long, you subversive pincushion!" said a familiar voice.

"M…Mr. Obotir?" Sonic blinked a couple of times.

"Ohohoho…wrong again! Allow me to reintroduce myself!" Stepping into the light, it became apparent who he really was: Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik.

"HA!" exclaimed Sonic. "I figured this would be comin' from a mile off!"

"How could you do something like this?" asked Tails.

"Ha!" replied Robotnik. "For someone who's such a prodigy, you're so naïve! But enough idle chat! After my most recent defeat, I went into hiding. I knew that Sonic here had such an overblown ego, so I decided to entertain him for a while by letting him think that I'd been permanently defeated. While I was biding my time, I decided to brush up on history. It's one of my favorite subjects, after all.

During my studies, I discovered it was far easier to subjugate the world through psychological manipulation than any machine I could ever create. Thus, I decided to seek employment in a profession that would allow me to carry out my diabolical plot, and once I succeeded, I designed the wondrous experiment that you call The Wave! AHAHAHAHAHA!"

Rouge spat at Robotnik. "You monster! You'll never get away with this!"

"Yeah, it's no use!" exclaimed Silver.

( _OK, I think we get the point, man_ ) thought Sonic.

"Oho…but it _is_!" said Robotnik. "Did you not forget the part where I said that there were nationwide youth brigades like this one?"

"No, but then again, I didn't forget where you were jivin' us about that part!" said Sonic.

Robotnik slapped him.

"SILENCE! I'VE HEARD ENOUGH OF YOUR IRRITATING VOICE TO LAST ME A LIFETIME!"

"Whoa…take a chill pill, man!" said Sonic, earning him another slap.

"Now, would any of you _imbeciles_ care to irritate me more than you already are?"

None of them responded.

Robotnik smiled. "Good. Very good! Now, if you would be so kind as to excuse me, I must be going! Oh…and if you were thinking of escaping…don't." He turned a nearby knob, illuminating the room a bit more. By doing so, he revealed a group of six SWATbots, armed with laser rifles. After that, he walked out the door.

"How are we going to get out?" asked Silver.

"I'll get this eventually," replied Sonic. "We all do!"

* * *

While Team Sonic was trying to figure out an escape plan, two police officers had entered the school. One was a blond male human with a small scar on his neck. The other was a blue male crow. They could have been here for any reason: Perhaps a student was involved in an act of gang violence. Maybe a student was believed to be storing marijuana in his/her locker. Or maybe an irate teacher had a pencil thrown at him/her. Actually, these two officers were headed straight for the gym. Here, Bark and Storm were still holding their positions.

"Sorry, this is a private party" said Storm.

"Police officers," said the human. "We received a complaint about the noise."

"So?"

"So let us in," said the crow.

"No, I ain't lettin' you in!"

"Yes you are."

Storm crossed his arms. "And if I don't?"

"We'll have you two arrested for obstruction of justice," replied the human.

"Big whoop! I still ain't lettin' ya through!"

"Kid, we're serious. Open the door or we're going to end up talking to your parents."

"P…parents?" Storm froze. First, he looked at Bark. Then, he slowly turned to face the police officers.

"O…OK!" said Storm. "I don't want no trouble! Come on in!" He gently pushed Bark aside and moved along.

The officers opened the doors to the gym, only to encounter the same scene that Team Sonic gazed upon earlier. Almost immediately, the human brought up his bullhorn.

"Attention, this is the San Santos Police Department," said the human. "You are in violation of local ordinances. Stop what you're doing and return to your classrooms. I repeat, stop what you're doing and return to your classrooms."

Being that some of the Wave members stopped whatever they were doing at the moment, the officers were clearly seen and heard.

"You dare interrupt us?" queried Shadow. "Go ahead and try it!"

Suddenly, Shadow drew a Walther P38. Other Wave members followed his lead, drawing P38s, Lugers, MP 40s and Mauser rifles, and they all took aim at the officers.

"Holy…" The two officers tried to make a break from the first few rounds that were fired. In an unlikely stroke of luck, they managed to escape serious injury. They rushed out the building, taking as many twists and turns as necessary to avoid any pursuers.

There were no pursuers, however, for the Wavers simply chose to continue with their rally.

* * *

Outside, the two officers rushed back to their patrol car. Once they did, they parked it further away from the school, leaving the lights flashing. While the crow grabbed a shotgun, his partner grabbed the radio mic.

"Officer needs help!" said the human. "12-Adam-24 reporting shots fired at James F. Charleston High School, 993 South Napoleon Street! Suspects have automatic weapons and are extremely dangerous; we need backup NOW!

"12-Adam-24, roger," said the dispatcher. "All units in the vicinity and 12-Lincoln-31, 12-Adam-24 reports shots fired, at James F. Charleston High School, 993 South Napoleon Street. All units, handle Code 3."

* * *

Meanwhile, Team Sonic was still tied down, trying to come up with an escape plan. Silver had tried his PK powers, but the table he was clamped to had some PK limiter hooked up to it, thus nullifying that idea.

"Sonic, did you think of anything yet?" asked Tails.

"Nah, not really," replied Sonic. "Hey Tails, did ya remember your inhaler today?"

"My inhaler? But I…" Suddenly, Tails started coughing and wheezing. "H-help me…can't…breathe…"

"Don't try to fool us, forest creature," said a SWATbot.

"He ain't foolin' ya, dude!" said Sonic. "If he doesn't get his inhaler soon, he's gonna croak!"

"Very well, we shall release him." The SWATbot went to do so. Upon being freed, Tails destroyed two of them with a Spin Dash. Using the element of surprise to his advantage, he was able to flip the master switch on a nearby control panel, freeing his friends and starting a brief frenzy. When the scuffle was done, Team Sonic's captors were shredded piles of scrap metal.

"Yeah, that was decent, buddy!" Sonic gave Tails a high-five.

"Wait…Tails has asthma?" queried Silver.

"Really, Silver Boy?" Rouge facepalmed. "Ah…never mind. I'm surprised you two aren't jewel thieves!"

"Enough messin' around! Let's rock 'n' roll!" Sonic sped out of the room, only to return a moment later. "Guys…why are ya hangin' around?"

"I got bad news," said Tails. "I think I forgot Miles Electric at home!"

"WHAT!?" exclaimed Sonic. "Well let's go get it, then!"

* * *

After escaping their little dungeon, which turned out to be one of the computer labs, Team Sonic proceeded quickly but carefully through the school hallways. Sonic knew that even though the rally was going on, there could still be a rogue Wave member lurking about. Fortunately for him, they were too enraptured with the rally to care.

Outside, they made a mad rush for Sonic's house. When they got there, Tails grabbed Miles Electric. He also happened to catch a glimpse of something outside the window.

"Hey, did any of you see that police car outside?" asked Tails.

"The cops?" Sonic shrugged. "Nah, I wasn't payin' attention."

"So what?" asked Rouge. "They come by here a lot!"

"Well, I think it may have something to do with what's happening at school," said Tails.

Sonic snapped his fingers. "Makes sense! Let's jet back!"

* * *

Sure enough, when Team Sonic got back, there were a few SSPD cars surrounding the building, including a couple of Blazers.

"Hold up!" Sonic motioned everybody to some nearby bushes, and they all hid.

"This better be good," said Rouge.

"I hope so," said Sonic. "If the five-o can finish this game, then we are golden!

* * *

"

On the officers' side, the two officers who made that first response were speaking with Sergeant Martin Hand, a brown-haired human with a slight tan and a square jaw.

"…we don't know exactly how many, but they should still be in the gym," said the crow.

"OK, Stolzfus, you and Wenger stay here," said Hand. "Stephens, Alto, Grenier, Lazar, see if you can evacuate the students and staff. I'll try to talk the suspects out." Hand turned his Blazer's siren to PA mode and grabbed the mic.

"Attention, attention," said Hand, "this is the San Santos Police Department. We have the building surrounded, and there's no hope of escape! Put down your weapons and come out with your hands up! I repeat, put down your weapons and come out with your hands up! If you comply, we will take that into consideration."

* * *

Inside the school, a bunch of students and teachers peeked out the window to see what was going on. Seeing a bunch of police cars outside, they looked at each other, then out the window again. A few students figured it might be related to the noise coming from the gym earlier. Some called their parents. A couple even left on their own, not knowing what was going on, only that a mention of "weapons" meant nothing good.

In the hallways, Bean happened to be out patrolling when he noticed some students crowding around the window in a nearby classroom. Curious, he went over to investigate. At first, he froze upon seeing the cops, but then he ran straight back to the gym and to Shadow.

"Grand Dragon! Grand Dragon, we have a big problem!" exclaimed Bean.

"Oh, what now?" asked Shadow.

"Somebody called for backup! Do something about them!"

Shadow raised an eyebrow. "How many officers are out there?"

"Uh…all of them?"

"Never mind. Thanks for informing me." Shadow stepped back up to the microphone at his podium. "Ladies and gentlemen, stop whatever you're doing."

Everyone stopped as they were told.

"We are now facing a new test: The authorities are attempting to crush us from outside, but we will crush them! Follow me if you believe in The Wave!"

Shadow jumped down from his podium and bolted for the door. The rest of the Wavers followed him as best as they could. Once they opened the door, Shadow discovered a number of students and faculty members attempting to evacuate. Almost immediately, he stood in the way and raised his P38.

"All right, nobody else is leaving here until I say so!" exclaimed Shadow. Just to prove his point, a few of his fellow Wave members formed a blockade with him, holding the other people at gunpoint.

"Now, get back to your classrooms!" said Shadow.

"But what about the people who are escaping?" asked Knuckles.

"Never mind them! Just get the hostages moving!"

"Police officer! Drop the weapons!"

While some of the Wavers dropped their weapons and put their hands up, a bunch of them tried opening fire on the two officers who had entered. However, the officers dodged into a nearby bathroom, escaping serious injury. Rather than pursuing the officers, Shadow, Knuckles and the others simply filed into the classrooms with the hostages.

* * *

Outside, the other SSPD officers had their guns trained at the windows and doors, prepared for whatever contingency awaited them. Sgt. Hand repeated the same message he'd given earlier. Then, a moment later, some windows in the school were broken out.

"Get away from our school!" yelled Shadow. "You're making a fatal mistake!"

"Don't make this hard on yourselves," said Sgt. Hand. "We don't want you getting into any more trouble!"

"We don't care! We already have the upper hand, so if you know what's good for you, you'll leave us in peace!"

"Look, you're already in trouble for disturbing the peace. Please, stop this game and come out quietly! I don't want to repeat myself!"

"Well, you won't! FIRE!"

Shadow took the first shot, and a barrage of bullets followed. The confrontation was short but intense, with turf exploding, glass flying, bullets ricocheting off the pavement, a veritable thunder in the air. The police tried to return fire, but they didn't have many opportunities to do so with the hail of lead being thrown at them.

* * *

 **Criticism is gold. Negativity and nitpicking are pyrite.  
**


	8. Day 5 - Strength Through Courage

**A/N: For those who haven't noticed, I've written my first non- _Sonic_ fic: "He Saved Him", a _Naruto_ fic. I encourage you to check it out if you're a _Naruto_ fan!**

* * *

Luckily, nobody was hurt in spite of all the bullets that had been fired. However, the police cars had been turned into Swiss cheese.

"Now do you believe us?" shouted Shadow.

Over on the sidelines, Team Sonic remained in the bushes.

"Well, I guess we ain't glitterin' yet!" said Sonic. "Let's get that backup plan goin'!"

"But what if the police see us?" asked Tails. "And what about the Wave members?"

Sonic scratched his chin. "Good thinkin'. Hold on…I got this!"

* * *

As the police were still holding their ground, a clunk sound came from nowhere. Two officers spun around rapidly and pointed their service weapons in the direction it came from. However, it was nothing but an empty soda can – a distraction that gave Team Sonic the opportunity to zip back into the school, undetected by the police.

Though the police didn't, a Wave member was sure to have spotted them, so they ducked into another empty classroom and waited it out. True enough, a few Wavers came by and searched the classroom. However, the classrooms of James F. Charleston often had a few hiding spots for cautious hedgehogs, and this one was no exception. As Team Sonic remained hidden behind the teacher's desk, they managed to avoid detection by the less-than-savvy students who were looking out for them.

Actually, after the Wave members left, Sonic peeked around the desk, only to discover that one was still there – Butkus. So, Ol' Blue threw another empty soda can, which shocked the other guy into looking around. By the time he got to the desk, Team Sonic was gone.

As for the four heroes, they were proceeding quickly but carefully through the school, looking for Dr. Robotnik. Silver took a quick peek into Room 222. Various students and faculty members were tied up in this room, but there was no trace of the Doctor. He turned back to his teammates and shook his head. Sonic turned his palms upwards, silently asking about Robotnik's whereabouts. His friends met him with shrugs, so they moved along.

* * *

Outside the school, the situation continued to build as the Wave members looked on. The SSPD officers held their positions. Soon, more police cruisers showed up, and the S.W.A.T. team had finally arrived as well. Some snipers took up positions around the school. Additionally, fire and paramedic units were on scene, and to top it all off, a tractor-trailer truck was brought in as a mobile command post. By this time, the media had taken notice of the situation, throwing about their usual conjectures and suppositions.

Sgt. Hand was now clad in S.W.A.T. gear and equipped with an M16. Currently, he was meeting with Lt. Robert Forrest and Captain Davison.

"What's the situation, Sergeant?" asked Davison, a brown alligator.

"Officers Stolzfus and Wenger said they were sent to investigate a noise complaint when a bunch of students opened fire on them," replied Hand.

"How long ago did this happen?" Davison was taking notes.

"I estimate about 35 minutes ago, Captain."

"Any injuries?"

"No injuries as far as we know, but my truck's shot up pretty bad."

"Have you made any contact with the suspects?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, we did. One of the suspects warned us to go away and said that they wanted to be left alone."

"Who is that suspect?"

"We don't have any information on his identity yet, but that's what we're trying to find out."

"Any hostages?"

"Yes, a bunch of students and faculty members are still inside. We've already evacuated a bunch of them, but we don't know how many are in the school."

"OK then. Forrest, do you have the floor plan?"

"Got it right here, Captain." Lt. Forrest – a blond human who was slightly taller than Hand – unrolled the building plans. "According to what I've been told, all the suspects should be holed up in the main building here. Each classroom has a landline telephone, connected to a central switchboard. They can see us through these windows. Marty, did you get a good look at what kind of weapons they were using?"

"Not personally," replied Hand. "Some of the suspects have automatic weapons, though."

"Where did they get these weapons?" asked Davison.

"We don't know," replied Forrest. "Right now, the detectives are checking all arms deals for the past year."

"Any explosives on site?" asked Davison.

"None that we know of," replied Hand.

Davison put his notepad down. "OK, everyone stay here. I'll try to figure out the identity of our suspect. And whatever you do, don't shoot until I say so! The department's already got enough bad coverage without this mess."

* * *

Back in the school, Team Sonic had split up, trying to find Robotnik. Then, they reconvened outside the cafeteria.

"I got nothin'," said Sonic.

"Me neither," said Tails.

"Same here," said Rouge.

Silver stomped on the ground. "Where is he, then!? We have to end this thing now!"

"Hey, mellow out, Silv!" said Sonic. "We gotta keep a positive attitude!"

"But he could be anywhere by now!" said Silver.

"So? That ain't stopped me before! Now, let's get back into our Wave duds; we don't wanna stand out too much!" _(So what if some people are gonna recognize us?)_

* * *

Outside, Cpt. Davison had a bullhorn ready.

"This is Captain Davison of the SSPD. I want to speak with whoever's in charge!"

"You're wasting your breath, officer!" said Shadow. "You cannot hope to stop us!"

"May I ask who I'm speaking to?"

"My name is Shadow! I am the Ultimate Life Form!"

"Nice to meet you, Shadow! How are you doing?"

"I was doing fine until your pathetic police department showed up!"

"Well, I'm sorry you feel that way. What's the matter?"

"I think you know the answer to that!"  
"Oh…yes. I understand. What do you want, Shadow?"

"First of all, I want you to get everybody away from the damn school!"

"Look, we'd love to do that," said Davison, "but we have to think about the hostages, too!"

"Then go away!" yelled Shadow. "Do that, and none of these mortals will be harmed!"

"We'll do that eventually. Just let me speak to the Commander!"

Davison put down his bullhorn and grabbed his radio. "This is the Captain. S.W.A.T. 1, S.W.A.T. 2, get into position!"

"S.W.A.T. 1, roger!"

"S.W.A.T. 2, roger!"

Lt. Forrest and Sgt. Hand quickly headed to the school building along with eight other officers, weapons readied. Everything was going well so far. Suddenly, a few shots rang out, so they took cover once they came around the corner. Another shot was fired after they did so.

"Captain to S.W.A.T. 2, fall back!" said Davison. "I repeat, fall back; S.W.A.T. 1 is down!"

"S.W.A.T. 2, roger!"

Sure enough, S.W.A.T. 1 was down, but not out, because Shadow shot all the officers in the leg.

"Don't try anything else, or we'll shoot a hostage next time!" yelled Shadow.

Davison picked up his bullhorn again. "We're sorry! The paramedics are coming in now, if that's OK with you. All we want is to get our officers out of here. In fact, we're sending a few away right now!"

Davison was correct: A few officers got into their cars and headed back.

"Do as you will," said Shadow, "but no more tricks! And tell your snipers that they're wasting their marksmanship skills!"

* * *

Inside Room 222, the atmosphere was heavy. Aside from the usual fright of the hostages, a lot of the Wave members were fidgeting around with their weapons.

"Grand Dragon…" said Al. "I…I want out."

"What?" said Shadow. "Now?"  
"I can't go through with this; it's getting too real!" Al put down his Mauser rifle.

"Hey, you can't quit now! You're fracturing the unity of The Wave!"

Blaze put down her rifle as well. "He is correct. We're a movement of peace; we can't allow this madness to go on!"

"Pick up that gun!" said Shadow.

Instead, a bunch of Wave members put down their guns. Slowly, they attempted to file out of the room, but Shadow zinged over to the door and raised his P38.

"Go ahead, I dare you to leave this room!" said Shadow. "I dare you to shatter this community into little tiny pieces!"

Knuckles grabbed Shadow's arm and forced it down. "Hey, watch it! I want our allies to stay here too, but do ya have to threaten them so they follow orders?"

Shadow overcame Knuckles' grip and pointed the gun at him. "I do whatever I have to in order to succeed! If you have any discipline left in your body, you will, too!" Then, Shadow's eyes darted around the room. "Hey, where's Espio!?"

"Did you ask for me, Shadow?" Espio was at Shadow's right side.

Shadow pointed the gun at Espio. "Were you trying anything funny? Because if I find out you were involved in any traitorous activities, you'll be dead before you even hit the floor! Got it?"

"I understand perfectly," replied Espio. "However, I do agree with Knuckles; you shouldn't have to use that weapon to make your point known."

"Then obey me!" said Shadow. "Strength Through Discipline, Strength Through Community, Strength Through Involvement, Strength Through Pride!"

So, the unwilling Wave members saluted and picked their guns up, except for Sally Acorn, who raised her MP 40 at Shadow.

"No, Shadow," said Sally, "This stops here!"

"Acorn, don't point that at me! Point it at those wretched authority figures out there!"

"SHUT UP, SHADOW!"

"Hey, I command everybody around here! You don't!"

"What a load of crap! You have no right to boss anybody into doing anything they don't want to do!"

"And you have no right to speak out against your ruler!"

"Says who!?"

"Says I, the Grand Dragon!"

"Grand NOTHING! Either you go out there and surrender to the police, or I'm going to make sure you rot in Hell!"

"Stop boring me."

"Shadow, drop the gun or I'll shoot!""

"No."

"One…"

"You're weak."

"Two…"

"I said 'stop'."

"THREE!"

Sally pumped a whole magazine worth of bullets into Shadow, who merely stood unfazed. She stood there, finger still on the trigger, looking at a still-living Shadow. Then, he raised his P38 and shot Sally in the chest. She collapsed immediately.

"SALLY GIRL!" Bunnie cradled Sally in her arms.

"Now, does anyone _else_ wish to make a fatal mistake?" asked Shadow.

The other Wavers looked at him with silence before returning to their posts. To their surprise, they found that all the hostages had disappeared, right under their noses.

"Espio!" Shadow pointed his gun at Espio again.

"Don't look at me," said Espio. "I've given you nothing but loyalty."

"Hmph."

* * *

The looks on the other members' faces said but one thing: This was going to be the longest day of their lives.

In the hallways, Sonic, Tails, Rouge and Silver were still searching the school for Robotnik.

"Sonic, are you sure Robotnik's still here?" asked Tails.

"I'm sure, dude!" replied Sonic. "Where else could he have gone?"

"You're correct, Sonic." As it turned out, Espio was standing behind them.

"Hey, what are _you_ doing here!?" demanded Rouge.

"And how'd ya manage to find us without being seen?" asked Sonic.

"Ancient ninja secret," replied Espio.

"Never mind. What's shakin' with Robuttnik, anyhow?"

"The Doctor has taken shelter in one of the basement's maintenance rooms. Based on my observations, it's carefully guarded."

"How do we get there?" asked Rouge.

Espio handed her a building map, which had a few markings on it.

"Over here." Espio pointed to a red "X" on the first floor.

"Thanks! Well…good luck, I suppose."

"You too. Be careful!"  
"Right!"

With that, Team Sonic headed to find Robotnik. When they came to the area with the red "X", they found nothing but a blank wall.

"Well now what?" asked Rouge.

"Stand back, dudes!" said Sonic. "Let The Man show ya how it's done!" Sonic attempted to break open the wall with a Spin Dash, but it wouldn't budge.

"Heh heh…that ain't supposed to happen…" said Sonic.

Rouge facepalmed. "Got any more bright ideas?"

"I do!" Tails pulled out Miles Electric and got to work. He tapped each button quickly and intently, trying to find a way through.

"I found it!" exclaimed Tails.

"Yeah?" said Sonic, Rouge and Silver.

"The door's locked with some sort of code. It's gonna take me a while to break it, so I'll need some protection."

"Ain't no thang!" said Sonic. "Let's do it to it!"

* * *

The police still hadn't made much progress with Shadow, but that didn't stop Davison, Forrest, Hand and the others from trying.

"Shadow, what's going on in there?" asked Davison.

"None of your business, officer!" replied Shadow.

"Shadow, I want to be your friend! Please, don't make this hard on yourself."  
"I don't need any friends! I'm the Ultimate Life Form!"

"Then at least give up while you still can. You're a bright young man, and we don't want you to ruin your future!"  
"What future!?"

"Shadow, I understand everything seems hopeless, but listen to the media! There are lots of good people out there cheering for you! We love you, Shadow! Be a hero!"

"I'm already a hero! We're all heroes; that's because we joined The Wave!"

"Yes, we've heard of The Wave before. We don't care what you do so long as you do it in accordance with the law!"

"We were doing it in accordance with the law! You screwed it up, remember?"

"Look, we didn't mean for it to be this way. We just wanted to talk, that's all."

"So you did! Anything else?"

"What's the word on the hostages?"

"What hostages!?"

"You said you were holding hostages in that room, remember?"

"Well they disappeared!"

"Disappeared?" Davison scratched his head. "Shadow, you didn't kill them, did you?"

"Of course not! Don't jump to those wretched conclusions!"

"You mean it?

"Damn right I do!"

"OK…just hold on…" Once again, Davison lowered his bullhorn. "Forrest, Hand…"

"Yes?" asked the two S.W.A.T. officers.

"Did either of you notice any hostages leaving the school?" asked Davison.

"No," replied Hand.

"No, but I thought I saw some in the corner of my eye just a few minutes ago," replied Forrest.

"Are you sure?"

"No, I'm…" Then, Forrest glanced aside, only to notice some panicked students begging and pleading with some other officers, while the media focused on them. Thus, Davison grabbed his radio.

"This is the Captain," said Davison. "Send in the tank."

The "tank" in question was actually an M113 APC, painted the same navy blue color as the other S.W.A.T. vehicles. The armored behemoth rumbled towards the school, with people and vehicles alike clearing the way. Of course, such a vehicle was easily noticed by the Wave members.

"Open the crate!" ordered Shadow. Knuckles and Ray opened a long, drab metal crate, exposing a most fearsome weapon: A Panzerschreck. Shadow brought the launcher to bear.

"Load it!"

"Aye aye!" Ray brought a rocket over and inserted it.

"Stand back!" said Shadow. With his usual lack of remorse, he fired at the APC, blind to the fact that the backblast would've shattered everybody else in the room. The rocket struck the APC, stopping it in its tracks.

"Oh my god, the quarterback is toast!" exclaimed Bean.

Fortunately, the crew of the M113 had miraculously crawled out of the vehicle, where the medics immediately attended to them.

* * *

Tails had just managed to crack the code when the team heard the rest of the explosion.

"Wha…?" said Tails.

"Let's go check that out!" Sonic changed out of his Wave uniform and dashed out of the school, and the rest of his friends followed suit. Outside, they spotted some firefighters putting out the burning APC.

"Hey, who are those kids over there?" asked Davison.

"That's Sonic the Hedgehog," replied Forrest. "I don't know much about his other friends, though.

"Well, get them out of the line of fire!"

"Yes sir!" Forrest and Hand motioned for Sonic to get away. The Blue Blur and friends took cover behind a Grumman S.W.A.T. van, where they looked around for the source of the explosion.

* * *

Speaking of explosion, Shadow held on to his Panzerschreck.

"So, Sonic and his friends have escaped…" he said to himself. Then he motioned for another rocket. Ray complied with the order, but then he accidentally tripped over his own foot, dropping the rocket. It didn't go off, however.

"YOU IDIOT!" yelled Shadow. "Don't drop those! Here…give it to me!" He grabbed the rocket and loaded the Panzerschreck himself. Then, he went back to the window.

* * *

"Hey, over there!" Sonic pointed to one of the windows.

"Looks like we're in trouble!" said Rouge.

"Not if I can help it!" said Silver. He was just in time, too: Shadow had fired a rocket at the van they were hiding behind. Fortunately, Silver deflected it with his PK power, and then he pried the launcher from Shadow's hands. Shadow nearly fell out the window in the process, too. Once that was done, Team Sonic made their way to Captain Davison.

"Excuse me, but what are you doing here?" asked Davison.

"I'm Sonic…Sonic the Hedgehog! These are my pals Tails, Rouge and Silver!"

Tails, Rouge and Silver all said hi, each in their own special way.

"That's very nice," said Davison, "but we can't have you in the line of fire! You're just kids!"

"Hey, we ain't just kids!" said Sonic.

"We've got important information for you!" said Tails.

"Really? What about?"

"OK, so it went down like this…" Sonic and his friends told Davison, Forrest and Hand all about The Wave, from its very inception to the current mess they were in. During this time, Shadow and friends fired a few more shots, but nobody was injured.

"…and here we are!" said Sonic.

"Now that you mention it," said Forrest, "Fred did tell me something about this 'Wave'. Fact is, something about it made me curious."

"Well that still doesn't help us," said Davison. "If The Wave is a nationwide movement, then we're wasting our time here!" He picked up his radio.

"Whoa, hold the phone, man!" exclaimed Sonic. "We got a plan!"

"Look, I'd love to hear it, but I doubt it's gonna work very well."

"Captain, shouldn't we at least hear them out?" asked Forrest.

Davison paused for a few seconds.

"All right…" said Davison, "I'm listening."

So, Sonic and co. told Davison about the backup plan.

"That's quite a plan," said Davison. "Are you sure this will work?"

"Oh yeah!" replied Sonic.

"You'd better hope so, Sonic, because if it…"

"I'm waiting, officer!" shouted Shadow.

Sonic grabbed the bullhorn from Davison. "Hey, that's my line!"

Davison took his bullhorn back. "Just a few more seconds!" He turned back to Sonic. "Listen, if this plan doesn't work, then it's your ass on the line as well as mine!"

"Hey, don't sweat it!" said Sonic. "I haven't steered my pals wrong before, and I ain't about to steer you guys into a trap, either! Silver, let's get it on!"

"Right!" Using his PK power, Silver levitated one of the S.W.A.T. vans and used it to block Shadow's field of view. With that taken care of, Team Sonic stayed out of sight while Lt. Forrest's team sprung into action. Once Forrest's team was inside, Team Sonic followed, and Silver put the van back down gently, although it took a toll on his powers.

* * *

As for Captain Davison, he remained outside, still trying to maintain good relations with the bloodthirsty hedgehog he'd been talking to.

"What the hell just happened!?" yelled Shadow.

"We don't know, we're trying to figure that out," replied Davison. "Shadow…look around, more officers are leaving as we speak."

"That's because they were weak! They knew they could not defeat the Ultimate Life Form, and neither can you!"

"Shadow, do you have any other demands?"  
"As a matter of fact…yes: Since you're getting all this attention from the media, I have just one more request…"

"Yes?"

"I want the government to admit that they killed Maria and to apologize for it!"

Davison tilted his head a little "Maria? Who's Maria?"

"Don't act like you don't know her! I'm talking about Maria Robotnik! Look her up! While you're at it, look up the Space Colony ARK, too!"

* * *

The S.W.A.T. team proceeded quickly through the halls, following the directions given to them by Sonic. Since Forrest knew the building well, this was no trouble. A number classroom doors had been locked shut, but that was of little concern to them at the moment. By now, some of the Wave members had given up and made their way elsewhere, perhaps to the gym or outside the school.

That aside, once the S.W.A.T. team got to the location of the secret door, Tails opened it up with Miles Electric. The job was considerably easier since he'd cracked the code before. With the door open, Team Sonic followed the S.W.A.T. team down into the basement. Except for a few lights, it was dark down here, but some of the officers carried flashlights, so it wasn't a big problem. The bigger problem was navigating the maze-like corridors of the basement. Down here, there were plenty of places for things to go wrong, but that's why the S.W.A.T. team received the kind of training they did.

Fortunately, everything was still textbook, and everyone came to the door that had been marked on the map. It didn't look or feel out of place compared to any other door, but this one had that proverbial "something" about it. As the S.W.A.T. team stacked up against the door, Sonic got into position. Then, he busted down the door with a Spin Dash, and everybody rushed in.

"FREEZE! S.W.A.T.! EVERYBODY DOWN!" shouted Forrest. The room they were in had a bunch of computer consoles and monitors lining the walls. Unfortunately, it also had a bunch of EggRobos waiting for them.

"I was expecting you." Adding insult to injury, Dr. Robotnik in the center of the room, holding Superintendent Coleman hostage with a laser pistol.

* * *

 **Criticism is gold. Negativity and nitpicking are pyrite.  
**


	9. Aftermath

"Drop the weapon!" ordered Forrest.

"NO!" shouted Robotnik.

"I said drop it!"

"You imbeciles! Get away from this school or I will shoot the superintendent!"

"Please…do what he says!" begged Coleman.

The S.W.A.T. officers kept their guns at the ready.

"You fools!" exclaimed Robotnik. "Don't you know who I am!?"

"Yeah," said Rouge, "you're mud!" With that, she let out a powerful screech, temporarily disorienting everyone. She used the opportunity to kick Robotnik's gun out of his hand. When they came to, Sonic, Tails and Silver helped to finish off the EggRobos. When the smoke cleared, Robotnik was left with some worthless piles of metal.

"All right, Robuttnik," said Sonic, "you're gonna come with us, and you're gonna help us end this whole thing! Ya dig?"

Robotnik merely growled at Sonic. Then, he turned to the S.W.A.T. team and said, "You've got me. I'll come quietly."

With that, Sonic and co. escorted Robotnik to one of the A/V rooms.

* * *

Outside, the situation was deteriorating.

"Shadow, we just need a little more time," said Davison.

"No!" yelled Shadow. "I've had enough talk with you; you're going down!" He snatched Knuckles' MG 42 and was about to take aim when a familiar voice came over the school's PA system:

"Attention, members of The Wave, please report to the gym at once! I repeat, please report to the gym!"

Without hesitation, Shadow and the other Wavers did just that, filing out of the classrooms neatly as they did so.

"Shadow, what's going on?" asked Davison. Then, he grabbed his radio. "Captain to all units, prepare to move in!"

* * *

Back at the gym, the members of the Wave all had their weapons holstered as they eagerly discussed this new development. Then, the projector lit up again, showing Mr. Obotir, his true identity still unknown to his loyal soldiers.

"Students, comrades, countrymen, lend me your ears," said Obotir, "for I have an important announcement to make: There is no nationwide movement dedicated to The Wave."

The Wavers said "Huh?" in unison.

"There are no presidential candidates…no youth brigades…it was all a fabrication," continued Obotir. "You thought that you were so exceptional, did you not? Rather, you bargained away your freedom and independence for the promise of a new era of strength and prosperity, backed by the incentive of improved academic performance. Even if that meant injuring your friends or even your family, you would not break the rules. Before I continue any further, allow me to read some more excerpts from your essays:"

Obotir/Robotnik shuffled the essays and picked one to read: "'The Wave is an awful thing. Ever since we did those exercises on the first day, I just knew that things were going to get worse. However, I didn't realize how much worse until a friend of mine kept trying to hand me a brochure on the fourth day. I said no, but he kept trying. Then he got frustrated and beat me up."

Obotir/Robotnik moved on to the next one: "'I hate this stupid Wave thing. All my friends are bothering me with crap I don't care about, especially my friend Jeremy. He was my best friend, but now he's a frickin' jerk. I saw him one day and I punched him in the eye. Strength Through Community? What a lie! I also don't like Evan, you shouldn't too! And don't get me started about Sue!'"

One last paper came up: "'The Wave is a cancer on the nonexistent soul of this mortal school. This one never imagined that he would show care for such a destitute institution, but since there exists something so disruptive to this one's mana, something must be said. If The Wave does not cease to exist, then this one shall be coerced into making it cease, that our Dark Lord shall be arisen.'"

Obotir/Robotnik put down the papers and continued: "Not only did you defy your fellow students, but you also defied established authorities, all in the pursuit to improve yourselves. Some of you asked, 'How could the Tedescan Civil War have happened?' 'How could it have ended so violently?' Today, it could have concluded in a way far worse than what you have just witnessed, all because you hurt those who disagreed with you. Now, let us take another look at history, and remind ourselves of what could have been."

This time, the projector was showing a documentary about the Tedescan Civil War. Unlike the one the students saw earlier in the week, this one was more graphic, showing the bodies of dead soldiers, people being executed in Nationalist prison camps, people suffering from radiation burns after the bombing of Albtraum and families crying for the loss of their loved ones. It even showed some footage from pro-Nationalist riots that happened years after the war was over. During this documentary, most of the Wavers gasped in horror, and they dropped their weapons, except for Shadow.

( _Hmph,_ _I knew this whole thing was too good to last._ )

At the very end of the documentary, the following message came up:

 **BE** LIEVE IN

 **YOU** RSELF

Then, as the lights came back on, a bunch of police officers, paramedics and firefighters entered the gym. Almost immediately, the members of the Wave put their hands up.

* * *

With The Wave finished, Robotnik was escorted from the A/V room to a police car that was waiting outside for him.

"I hate that Hedgehog," muttered Robotnik.

In the meantime, the SSPD was securing the scene, gathering weapons and questioning people. During this time, Silver walked up to Blaze.

"Blaze?"

"I'm so sorry, Silver," said Blaze. "I wish I'd known better."

"It's all right," said Silver, "I'm just glad you're back."

"Oh, Silver…" The two of them hugged and made up.

Meanwhile, Rouge was also looking for somebody, namely, Knuckles. When she did, she quickly spun him around.

"Knuckie…!"

Knuckles fell to his knees and clasped his hands together. "AAHHHH! I'm sorry I didn't know what I was doing I didn't mean to hurt you please ya gotta believe me!"

"Hmph…so now ya say sorry?" said Rouge. "Well, too late for that!" She leaned closer to Knuckles.

"H…hey, what are you doing?" said Knuckles.

Rouge opened her mouth and leaned closer to the side of Knuckles' head.

"NO! Not that!" begged Knuckles. "Please…anything but that! NO! AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

Rouge inched ever closer to Knuckles' neck. Then, she stopped just before she could sink her teeth in. Instead, she giggled.

"Huh?" said Knuckles

"Oh Knuckie, do you actually think I would do THAT to you?" said Rouge. "Don't be such a scaredy cat!"

"So…does this mean you're not gonna punish me for shoving you?"

Rouge smirked. "No! I still haven't paid ya back for all the misery you've caused me!"

"Hey…w-w-what are ya…d…doing…AHAHAHAHAHAHA! THAT TICKLES!"

"Are you going to shove me again?"

"NOOO! NOHOHOHOHO, DON'T TICKLE ME!"

"Are you going to disrespect me for not sharing your opinions!?"

"NO! AHAHAHAHAHA! STAHP IT!"

As for Sonic and Tails, they decided to walk away from all the madness, with an arm wrapped around each other's shoulder.

"Sonic! Tails!" They turned around to see Superintendent Coleman and Captain Davison behind them

"What it is?" asked Sonic.

"Boys, that was a hell of a plan you had there," said Davison. "I thought I was gonna have to call in the National Guard, or even G.U.N.!"

"Thanks for saving my life!" said Coleman. "Now I see why students know your name!"

"Of course ya do!" said Sonic. "We ain't just any heroes; we're Sonic Heroes!"

"Right," said Davison. "But if you're well-known heroes, why do you go to school like everybody else?"

"Learning is important, too," said Tails. "After all, we might be settling down one day, so any kind of learning will help!"

Sonic slapped his knee while laughing. "Settle down? Ya gotta be kiddin' me! I'm never givin' up my supersonic speed! Sure, I might mellow out every now and then, but that's different, ya know?"

Tails just smiled and shrugged it off. "Yep…that's Sonic!"

"Moving on," said Davison, "since you saved the day, you and your friends are in line for some medals, Sonic."

"Medals?" queried Tails.

"I don't need medals!" said Sonic. "I prefer to let my work speak for itself! Now if you'll excuse us, we gotta boogie, so see ya later, Cap!" He zoomed away, and Tails followed him.

Davison opened his mouth to say something, but it was no use. Instead, he attended to the aftermath of the situation.

Speaking of aftermath, the fallout from this incident was quite large. Dr. Robotnik was given an extraordinary prison sentence for "inciting minors to treason" and for illegal gunrunning. Shadow had vanished, so the government started one of the largest nationwide manhunts in the country's history. Sally survived her gunshot wound, but was in a coma for a year. As for the other Wave members, there was considerable debate on what should be done about them. Eventually, it was decided not to put them in prison because they had been unjustly manipulated. Rather, they were made to perform hours of community service, pay restitution to the families of the injured S.W.A.T. officers and publicly apologize for their actions. Also, every student and faculty member – Wave member or not – was given free counseling to help them cope with the incident.

As for the media, they were calling it one of the worst school crises since the Jamesboro Tech bombing. Of course, it could have been much worse without that heroic blue Hedgehog there to save the day. At the end of said day, he didn't dwell upon what happened or what the media said. Rather, he moved on and lived life as he always wanted to, at hundreds of miles per hour.

* * *

 **The story you have just read was based on Ron Jones' infamous 1967 experiment "The Third Wave", carried out at Cubberley High School in Palo Alto, California.  
**

 **Criticism is gold. Negativity and nitpicking are pyrite.**


	10. Sonic Says

Silver was in the school library, frantically punching away at the keyboard of his computer.

"All right, this is a perfect source for my term paper!" He was just about to click on the link when Sonic appeared.

"Hold on, Silv!" exclaimed Sonic. "Research is groovy, but how do ya know if the information you're gettin' is the real deal? A lotta places have inaccurate information, either because they didn't bother with the research or because they're deliberately tryin' to slant it some way! So whenever you're doin' research, check your facts! Dig some other sources and see what it really is!"


End file.
